Splinter churches realign mainline Protestantism

Posted by Kendall Harmon

The question now is whether these breakaway groups signal a seismic shift in American Protestantism, or just a few fissures in the theological terrain.

In some ways, the rifts are nothing new. American Protestants have been splintering since Roger Williams left Plymouth Colony in the 1630s, said Nancy Ammerman, a sociologist of religion at Boston University.

Yet the schisms counter a 20th-century trend in which ethnic and regional Protestant groups merged to form big-tent denominations such as the ELCA and PC(USA).

"What we may be experiencing at this point is the limit of that movement to draw a lot of diversity under one umbrella," said Ammerman, author of "Pillars of Faith: American Congregations and Their Partners."

Read it all.

Filed under: * Anglican - Episcopal • Anglican Church in North America (ACNA) • Episcopal Church (TEC) • Sexuality Debate (in Anglican Communion) • Same-sex blessings • * Religion News & Commentary • Other Churches • Lutheran • Presbyterian

2 Comments
Posted February 28, 2012 at 11:22 am [Printer Friendly] [Print w/ comments]



1. David Keller wrote:

That was a pretty good article with some innacuracies.  I think, and I believe Kenadall will agree having heard him speak on the subject, that contrary to Mr. Tooley’s assertions, the orthodox did not pick homosexuality as a “flash point issue”.  The left very adeptly made it the presenting issue so they could argue “civil rights” and avoid Biblical authority. They were very schrewd.

February 28, 3:36 pm | [comment link]
2. RalphM wrote:

Mr Tooley also states as if it were fact: “Duncan’s ACNA seeks to supplant the Episcopal Church as the U.S. branch of the worldwide Anglican Communion.”  There is no basis for that statement and the writer should clearly differentiate his personal opinions from the facts in the story.

ACNA simply seeks to be recongized as a member of the Anglican Communion (which the majority of the Communion already does.)
Why would ACNA expend energy and resources to “supplant” TEC when TEC is doing such a good job of self destruction?

February 28, 7:07 pm | [comment link]
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