How old is your church and who founded it?

[Ave Maria]

http://www.ewtn.com/faith/teachings/churb4.htm

How Old Is Your Church?

If you are a Lutheran, your religion was founded by Martin Luther, an ex- monk of the Catholic Church, in the year 1517.

If you belong to the Church of England, your religion was founded by King Henry VIII in the year 1534 because the Pope would not grant him a divorce with the right to remarry.

If you are a Presbyterian, your religion was founded by John Knox in Scotland in the year 1560.

If you are a Protestant Episcopalian, your religion was an offshoot of the Church of England founded by Samuel Seabury in the American colonies in the 17th century.

If you are a Congregationalist, your religion was originated by Robert Brown in Holland in 1582.

If you are a Methodist, your religion was launched by John and Charles Wesley in England in 1744.

If you are a Unitarian, Theophilus Lindley founded your church in London in 1774.

If you are a Mormon (Latter Day Saints), Joseph Smith started your religion in Palmyra, N.Y., in 1829.

If you are a Baptist, you owe the tenets of your religion to John Smyth, who launched it in Amsterdam in 1605.

If you are of the Dutch Reformed church, you recognize Michaelis Jones as founder, because he originated your religion in New York in 1628.

If you worship with the Salvation Army, your sect began with William Booth in London in 1865.

If you are a Christian Scientist, you look to 1879 as the year in which your religion was born and to Mrs. Mary Baker Eddy as its founder.

If you belong to one of the religious organizations known as 'Church of the Nazarene," "Pentecostal Gospel." "Holiness Church," "Pilgrim Holiness Church," "Jehovah's Witnesses," your religion is one of the hundreds of new sects founded by men within the past century.

If you are Catholic, you know that your religion was founded in the year 33 by Jesus Christ the Son of God, and it is still the same Church.

Bolding is mine.

 

[DailyBlessings]

I note that while all churches belong to the greater "Church Catholic", most people who now call themselves catholics are a part of traditions that sprang from later schisms. You cannot simply say "catholic" as though it were a single political body. Many of the "protestant" groups you mention still refer to themselves as catholic with regularity. So do monastic sects, and the Eastern churches you no doubt consider to be a separate denomination from your own.

And the Roman church certainly was not founded in 33 AD, though of course no one is certain when Christianity reached the city.

 

[Ave Maria]

I note that while all churches belong to the greater "Church Catholic", most people who now call themselves catholics are a part of traditions that sprang from later schisms. You cannot simply say "catholic" as though it were a single political body. Many of the "protestant" groups you mention still refer to themselves as catholic with regularity. So do monastic sects, and the Eastern churches you no doubt consider to be a separate denomination from your own.

And the Roman church certainly was not founded in 33 AD, though of course no one is certain when Christianity reached the city.

I'm not sure what you are talking about but the Catholic Church most certainly was founded in 33 AD. It was founded by Jesus Himself. No other "church" can make this claim than the Catholic Church which is in communion with the Holy See.

 

[Peter]

The Church at Rome (the See of Rome) was most definately NOT founded by Christ Himself and most definately NOT in 33 AD.

The term "catholic" is an English transliteration of a Greek word that means universal.
Therefore the name Roman Catholic means only the universal Church directly under the See of Rome. With the colonization and immigration of and to the New World, we could also use the terms Russian Catholic, Antiochian Catholic, etc. to note the various jurisdictions. We could also say Baptist Catholic, Mormon Catholic and if we really wanted to use the word properly, Muslim Catholic.

Interesting that you left off the Orthodox Church from your list. Who founded it and in what year?

 

[DailyBlessings]

I'm not sure what you are talking about but the Catholic Church most certainly was founded in 33 AD. It was founded by Jesus Himself. No other "church" can make this claim than the Catholic Church which is in communion with the Holy See.

I assumed you were referring to the Roman Catholic Church. All of the denominations you mention above belong to the greater catholic church that Jesus founded, despite being variant traditions within it, much like your own.

 

[mpodlesny]

My church was founded in the late 1800s and I have no idea who founded it

 

[Peter]

If we are to believe that the Church is the "fullness of Him that fills all things," (Eph. 1:23) why do we say that "my church was founded in ____?" Shouldn't you be able to say that your church was founded in 33AD on the day of Pentecost? Did God really wait 1800 years to establish His Church, His fullness? Did God lie when He said He would guide the Church into all truth? Did God's own real body become cancerous? If it did, wouldn't that reduce His fullness? These are serious questions that really require honest answers.

But, you say, we follow the scriptures. And those EO and RC's have practices that aren't in the Bible.

Okay. Where did the Bible come from? Who were the men that made the decisions which books were to be included? When did that happen? What did those men believe? How did those men worship? Were those men in a church that was an abomination in the sight of God? Serious questions that require honest answers.

 

[mpodlesny]

If we are to believe that the Church is the "fullness of Him that fills all things," (Eph. 1:23) why do we say that "my church was founded in ____?" Shouldn't you be able to say that your church was founded in 33AD on the day of Pentecost? Did God really wait 1800 years to establish His Church, His fullness? Did God lie when He said He would guide the Church into all truth? Did God's own real body become cancerous? If it did, wouldn't that reduce His fullness? These are serious questions that really require honest answers.

But, you say, we follow the scriptures. And those EO and RC's have practices that aren't in the Bible.

Okay. Where did the Bible come from? Who were the men that made the decisions which books were to be included? When did that happen? What did those men believe? How did those men worship? Were those men in a church that was an abomination in the sight of God? Serious questions that require honest answers.

I believe the original poster of this thread was referring to the place as to where you currently attend.

 

[E.C.]

Eastern Orthodox Church: 33AD.

 

[LightHorseman]

Well to be fair, the orthodox churches weren't considered seperate from the Catholic church until the 1000s when the great schism over the Lords prayer occured.

The split between Orthodox and Catholic is sort of like a divorce, where the Catholic side got the good name in the split. I'm a Catholic, but I'm happy to acknowledge that Orthodox Churches can trace back their lineages as far as us.

Unlike all those other johny-come-latelys.

(Watch this space and wait for the imminent decent of Baptists claiming that all 12 Apostles went on to self identify as ordained Baptist ministers/pastors)

 

[E.C.]

The split between Orthodox and Catholic is sort of like a divorce, where the Catholic side got the good name in the split. I'm a Catholic, but I'm happy to acknowledge that Orthodox Churches can trace back their lineages as far as us.

You may have kept the name, per say, but we got all the good stuff.

Plus we got to keep the house where all the little ones were born and raised in.

Unlike all those other johny-come-latelys.

(Watch this space and wait for the imminent decent of Baptists claiming that all 12 Apostles went on to self identify as ordained Baptist ministers/pastors)

I'll take your offer and raise you fifty cents!

 

[Peter]

Well to be fair, the orthodox churches weren't considered seperate from the Catholic church until the 1000s when the great schism over the Lords prayer occured. quote]

The dispute was not over the Lord's prayer. The dispute was many faceted and had been buidling for many centuries, finally coming to a head in 1054 with the West making the first move to excommunicate the East.

This, of course, was a sign of the deeper issue, "Did the Patriarch at Rome have this authority and power?" (I will not attempt to give a defense)

There was a dispute over the inclusion of the phrase "and the son" into the Nicene Creed in relation to the Holy Spirit. This phrase was not part of the ecumenical canon and was added later only in the West.

 

[E.C.]

There was a dispute over the inclusion of the phrase "and the son" into the Nicene Creed in relation to the Holy Spirit. This phrase was not part of the ecumenical canon and was added later only in the West.

Not only added only by the West, but added by a secular leader no less.

 

[SummaScriptura]

The original poster's post evinces a cultic mentality, in my opinion. The mentality that puts out, "My church is more [fill in the blank] than your church" evinces a sectarian outlook and one not in keeping with a truly catholic spirit. (please note the smallness of the "c")

I am one Southern Baptist who believes in the "holy catholic church" (no capitals) and the "communion of saints" in the here and now. If we are in Christ we are one in Him, His prayer for unity being thus answered.

Let us welcome one another then, as Christ has welcomed us!

 

[Peter]

Out of curiosity, why then are you Southern Baptist. Is it because it "fits you" or because it's the truth?

As a former Baptist, I see the Protestant view of what the Church is as just too liberal.

 

[SummaScriptura]

Out of curiosity, why then are you Southern Baptist. Is it because it "fits you" or because it's the truth?

One should never join a church because it is the true one and the others not. A catholic outlook embraces those who confess Christ regardless of the church with which they are affiliated. I am a Southern Baptist because I hold the same values as important as they, not because they are more betterer.

As a former Baptist, I see the Protestant view of what the Church is as just too liberal.

There are more than 300 denominations of Baptist. ("For shame!", he replied. "Praise God!", said I). There are liberal and conservative views of the Church among Baptists. Although, seeing you have "converted" to Orthodox, all Baptists might seem liberal, right?

 

[Peter]

All Protestants are liberal.

 

[Touma]

I am part of the body of Christ. This Church was started around 30 AD, after the death and resurrection of Christ. I don't understand why you all have to classify yourselves with such divisive titles or give weird dates.

 

[SummaScriptura]

<snip>I don't understand why you all<snip>

Please be a little more discrimitating than that. That's a pretty broad brush!

 

[Touma]

Please be a little more discrimitating than that. That's a pretty broad brush!

Who am I discriminating against? Go through the thread, and what do you see? You see people claiming this or that denomination, saying theirs is better than another, or whatever. Almost everyone in here has done it.

Besides the "you all" was more of a y'all thing, just not typed the best way.