How many times have you switched denominations?

I was Catholic, then Charismatic, Evangelical, Baptist, Pentecostal.... It happened in a span of 20 years.

Now, I don't have denomination anymore. I did not back slide or anything. I still read the Bible a lot.

Just the many inconsistencies in the doctrines of denominations. I can't live with that anymore.

Although I was raised with Christian beliefs, I didn't start going to church until I was a young adult. Have stayed in the same denomination since that time. Does that count as one move?

I was raised Catholic, lapsed as a teen and started going back to church in my 20s. Ended up getting confirmed (Should have been received, but my priest screwed up) as an Episcopalian, then ended up becoming a Lutheran in college because all my friends were Lutheran and I went to the Lutheran Campus Ministry because there wasn't a Episcopal one. Got to the point where I ended up going to a Lutheran seminary, and realized a year in I was still an Episcopalian. It's hard to quantify how many moves because of Called to Common Mission. My member was simply transferred from the Episcopal parish to the Lutheran one, which was the exact same process if I was going from one Episcopal parish to another.

A few times.

Grew up in a generic non-denominational Evangelical setting until my late teens. I went from that to Reformed, to Catholic (although never confirmed), to Orthodox. I have been in the Orthodox Church for 14 years and some change.

I was born dead. And I stayed love-dead for quite a while. First, I was considered to be a Catholic, then I asked Jesus to save me, in a Baptist servicemen's missionary outreach church, then I fell from that, and started to realize how I had not been a loving and a caring person, and I was my own main problem.

I went through some Oneness things.

Then I trusted Jesus, possibly like the "thief on the cross" did, and I started seeking to be personally guided by Jesus, all the time. Then I went to various churches, and on purpose lived outside with street homeless people, as their Christian neighbor seeing how God would take care of me with what was freely given.

What helped me the most was sharing with Jesus people. There were the gentle and humble ones, in different churches and on the street, and these always knew how to relate with me. This got my attention, how I needed to become a really humble and caring person who can feel for other people.

And now I am with a group who rents in another church. And we do various things. We are basic evangelical, I would say . . . basic Jesus Bible. And we have younger pastors, but mature seniors who pastor them.

I was raised Presbyterian, attended a Baptist church for about a year (before they kicked me out...), then was essentially an agnostic/atheist for about 10 years after my mother passed away. When I returned to Christianity/Church, I joined the Roman Catholic Church and was there for the majority of my 20s, but after a period of three years of study and prayer, I ended up eventually joining the Coptic Orthodox Church. That is where I have been since receiving baptism in 2012. It's really different than any of these other places.

ChicanaRose said:

If that was your first church, maybe you never changed denomination, unless your parents raised you with specific denominational/ beliefs or practices.

Click to expand...

IIRC, she was baptized in a Catholic church, but now is Anglican.

My parents are lapsed Catholics, but taught me to reject Catholicism (and institutional churches in general). I was baptised in my twenties according to an Anglican rite (by full immersion in the sea, though, which was awesome).

Ironically my mother in particular had been quite influenced by Jehovah's Witnesses and had some theologically dodgy ideas. But I wouldn't say I was raised with the beliefs and practices of any particular group.

Paidiske said:

My parents are lapsed Catholics, but taught me to reject Catholicism (and institutional churches in general). I was baptised in my twenties according to an Anglican rite (by full immersion in the sea, though, which was awesome).

Ironically my mother in particular had been quite influenced by Jehovah's Witnesses and had some theologically dodgy ideas. But I wouldn't say I was raised with the beliefs and practices of any particular group.

Click to expand...

Immersion in the sea? That is awesome.

Sabertooth said:

I finally ended up at a non-denom modeled after Calvary Chapel. It eventually became a full-fledged Vineyard Christian Fellowship. When VCF wasn't available (after I moved and in the military), I usually attended Assembly of God churches. At one base, I got baptized at a United Pentecostal Church.

Click to expand...

VCF is not Calvary Chapel. Did the CC church change owners?

I am glad at least one other CF member knows what the Vineyard is.

I know about Vineyard; although I've never had any direct contact with them, I've known people who were heavily influenced by them.

I voted for "never had a denomination" because I was saved at the Vineyard. If I had to choose one I am closest to American Baptist, but no such churches exist here. Before my sister taught me about God I was an atheist.

I grew up Methodist. Gave up on Christianity in high school. Got into Wicca, Zen Buddhism, read a good bit of Thomas Merton, followed the Grateful Dead, and things went south from there.

Near the end of my twenties I was so empty and hopeless. I was foreman for a telephone line crew and would listen to Christian radio (mostly Ligioneer Ministries), when no one was around. I lived in a one horse town with one Baptist church. I went there and was baptised (2nd time because I didn't know any better). I decided to go to school and study philosophy/theology. The Baptist church I went to wouldn't help me with a matching grant I had recieved, because it wasn't a Baptist school. So, that was the end of my Baptist days.

Today I'm Presbyterian. But, my allegiance is to Jesus Christ and not to some denomination. So, you won't hear me getting all up in arms about denominational preferences. I'm sure we'll all be surprised when the curtain drops.

ChristianForCats said:

VCF is not Calvary Chapel. Did the CC church change owners?

Click to expand...

Many of the early VCF churches started off as Calvary Chapels. After John Wimber died, Vineyard became a full-fledged denomination, Association of Vineyard Churches. To me, AVC feels different than VCF, but it is still recognizable.

Association of Vineyard Churches - Wikipedia

I heard John Wimber speak once. He talked about camels not being able to go though the eye of a needle (and therefore rich men not going to heaven). I have also sung a worship song he wrote called "Isn't He." But I did not know the Vineyard changed its thinking to being a separate denomination when he died. It's still the same church I was saved at on Sunday, March 16, 1997.

Association of Vineyard Churches is a better name for the headquarters in Anaheim, California. Fellowship is not evangelism, one of the AVC's top priorities.

ChristianForCats said:

I have also sung a worship song he wrote called "Isn't He."

Click to expand...

Oh, I've sung that!

Paidiske said:

I know about Vineyard; although I've never had any direct contact with them, I've known people who were heavily influenced by them.

Click to expand...

It certainly influenced me. I like how they do a baby dedication for kids who are too young to believe in a Trinitarian God and accept Jesus as their Savior. The Vineyard also taught me about believer baptism and encourages people who were baptized as infants to be rebaptized by immersion.

I would have a massive problem with rebaptism. But the rest I recognise; the same church which used to sing "Isn't He" encouraged dedications for children etc.

It was a bit eccentric for an Anglican church, but at the time I didn't know any different...