Denominations explained
Each tradition described the way its own members would describe it: what they believe, what a service is like, how their churches are organized, and how they compare with Reformed churches.
-
What Reformed Christians believe
Reformed churches are Protestant churches in the tradition of John Calvin and the Dutch Reformation, confessing the Three Forms of Unity. In Ontario the name covers four related federations with a shared Dutch heritage and distinct histories.
-
What Canadian Reformed Christians believe
The Canadian Reformed Churches are a federation of more than seventy Reformed churches founded by Dutch immigrants in 1950, holding to the Three Forms of Unity, with two services every Sunday, catechism preaching and a strong commitment to Reformed schools.
-
What members of the Christian Reformed Church believe
The Christian Reformed Church in North America is a binational Reformed denomination of about a thousand congregations, rooted in the Dutch immigrant churches of 1857 and confessing the Three Forms of Unity; it is the largest Reformed body of Dutch background in Canada.
-
What United Reformed Christians believe
The United Reformed Churches in North America are a federation of about 130 congregations formed in 1996 by churches that left the Christian Reformed Church, holding to the Three Forms of Unity and a traditional Reformed liturgy.
-
What Free Reformed Christians believe
The Free Reformed Churches of North America are a small federation of about twenty congregations formed by post-war Dutch immigrants from the Christelijke Gereformeerde Kerken, known for psalm singing and experiential Reformed preaching.
-
-
What Catholics believe
Catholics belong to the worldwide church led by the Pope in Rome, gathered each Sunday around the Mass, where they believe Christ himself is truly present in the bread and wine. In Wellington County, Catholic parishes belong to the Diocese of Hamilton.
-
What Anglicans believe
Anglicans belong to the Anglican Church of Canada, part of the worldwide Anglican Communion that grew out of the Church of England. They hold the faith of the creeds, worship from the Book of Common Prayer or the Book of Alternative Services, and are led by bishops; local parishes belong to the Diocese of Niagara.
-
What United Church members believe
The United Church of Canada was formed in 1925 when Methodist, Congregational and most Presbyterian congregations joined together. It is Canada's largest Protestant denomination, known for an open communion table, a wide theological welcome and a strong emphasis on social justice.
-
What Presbyterians believe
Presbyterians belong to the Presbyterian Church in Canada, a Reformed church with Scottish roots, governed by elders and guided by the Westminster Confession and the modern statement Living Faith. Its stone churches are among the oldest congregations in Wellington County.
-
What Lutherans believe
Lutherans follow the teaching of Martin Luther as set out in the Augsburg Confession and the Small Catechism, centred on justification by grace through faith and on Christ's presence in baptism and Holy Communion. Canada has two Lutheran churches: the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada and Lutheran Church–Canada.
-
What Baptists believe
Baptists are evangelical Christians known for baptizing only those old enough to profess their own faith, and for the independence of each local congregation. In Ontario most Baptist churches belong either to the Canadian Baptists of Ontario and Quebec or to the Fellowship of Evangelical Baptist Churches.
-
What Pentecostal Christians believe
Pentecostals are evangelical Christians who emphasize the baptism in the Holy Spirit, the gifts of the Spirit such as speaking in tongues and healing, and lively, expressive worship. Most Pentecostal churches in Wellington County belong to the Pentecostal Assemblies of Canada.
-
What non-denominational Christians believe
Non-denominational churches are independent congregations that belong to no denomination and answer to their own leadership. Most are evangelical in belief, contemporary in style, and go by names like community church, Bible church or Christian fellowship.
-
What evangelical Christians believe
Evangelical churches in this group belong to smaller Canadian denominations — Free Methodist, Wesleyan, Evangelical Missionary, Associated Gospel, Evangelical Free, Vineyard and others — that share a gospel-centred, Bible-believing faith and a heart for mission, while differing in history and emphasis.
-
What Alliance Christians believe
Alliance churches belong to the Christian and Missionary Alliance in Canada, an evangelical denomination founded for world mission and known for its Fourfold Gospel: Jesus Christ as Saviour, Sanctifier, Healer and Coming King.
-
What Mennonites believe
Mennonites are Anabaptist Christians who baptize believers, follow Jesus' way of peace and put a high value on community. Wellington County is home both to modern Mennonite congregations of Mennonite Church Eastern Canada and to horse-and-buggy Old Order communities.
-
What the Brethren believe
Brethren assemblies and Bible chapels are independent evangelical congregations from the nineteenth-century Plymouth Brethren movement, marked by a weekly breaking of bread and leadership by elders rather than clergy; the separate Brethren in Christ come from Anabaptist and Wesleyan roots.
-
What Salvationists believe
The Salvation Army is an evangelical Protestant church in the Wesleyan-holiness tradition, founded in London in 1865, whose congregations are called corps, whose ministers are officers, and whose worship goes hand in hand with social service.
-
What Orthodox Christians believe
Orthodox churches are the ancient churches of the Christian East, Greek, Russian, Ukrainian, Romanian, Serbian, Antiochian and others, together with the Oriental Orthodox churches such as the Coptic, Ethiopian and Armenian; they worship with the Divine Liturgy and hold to the faith of the early councils.
-
What Seventh-day Adventists believe
Seventh-day Adventists are a worldwide Protestant church that worships on Saturday, the seventh-day Sabbath, looks for the soon return of Christ, and summarizes its Trinitarian faith in 28 Fundamental Beliefs.
-
What New Apostolic Christians believe
The New Apostolic Church is an international Christian church led by a Chief Apostle, which teaches that living apostles are needed to prepare believers for the return of Christ. Its Canadian congregations belong to New Apostolic Church Canada.