How did you choose a demonimation?

Question

I didn't grow up in a church. I would like to join one, but I do not know to choose. My family is protestant, but I have been considering a lot of options, including Catholicism. If you are not a member of the church you were raised in, how did you choose which denomination to join?

Answer 1

I am an ordained minister in a denomination but I take that very, very lightly. All denominations are imperfect (unless, of course, I started one of my own!). Rather than shop for denominations I decided who I was as well as what my beliefs and preferences were, and attended a church that I best fit into. The benefits of denominations are real. They assure some accountability and some provide doctrinal stability. Additionally, they allow like-minded people to pool their efforts and resources to do things independent churches can not. They all have some down sides, however, such as denominational politics. If only we could have church without those imperfect people (everyone except me)! I would recommend you seek God for yourself, study the Bible for yourself, and just be yourself. The choice of church will then come naturally.

Answer 2

WOW.

You sound like I did about 7 years ago. I became disillusioned with being a Baptist. Every preacher had a different sermon or approach to the Bible.

So I just figured that I'd go straight to the souce of Christianity. The Church Herself.

Here are the reasons I joined the Catholic Church.

1. The lineage of Popes can be traced to Peter the Apostle.
2. The Church put the Bible as we know it together.
3. The Church is the most heavily persecuted institution in the world--a sure sign that the Catholics are onto something (because Jesus, who was the real deal, naturally drew enemies). I thought to myself, "surely they're doing something right!"
4. I noticed that the Church had a good track record of exorcising demons--surely a sign of divine authority.
5. The Church has a large record of mystical occurrences with thousands upon thousands of witnesses.
6. Once I started investigating the Church, many parts of the Bible started to match up and make sense...and previous gaps were filled that I couldn't answer before.

The two books that inspired me the most were Peter Kreeft's Fundamentals of the Faith, and Malachi Martin's Hostage to the Devil. It also helped me to convert knowing the fact that J.R.R. Tolkien was a deeply spiritual Catholic.

Just beware! Should you lean toward being a Catholic, you'll start disappointing people around you, and you'll get even more persecution than when you were Protestant.

Good luck out there!

Answer 3

Religion is s serious topic. It is one that should never be taken lightly. Let me ask you a question. What is it that you believe? That will tell you what denomination you want to follow more closely. Catholic's are very traditional and are not very literally biblical. While Baptists are very bible based and rely little on tradition. Now days people tend to stay away from denominations and go to non-denomiational churches, that are mainly Bible based. So I would do a little bit of research on the different denominations to find out which one fits more with your personal beliief system and then attend services to see if it works out. Again don't take it lightly take some time, i am sure you will find one when you are ready.

Answer 4

I am sorry that I don't have a straightforward answer for you, but perhaps this will help.

No denomination, as far as I know, is entirely without error. Also, at different points in your spiritual life, you may require different things. I suggest not becoming too attached to any particular denomination, but joining a church that meets your needs and will enable you to grow.

Perhaps the best way of going about it is to visit different churches. You may need to join one where your role is simply to show up, worship, and hear the Word being given. Or, you might take a more active role. It depends on what God wants for you.

I'd say that you should pray about it, and consider your immediate options. It's not so much about the church building as it is about your heart. Wherever you go, make sure that you can give of yourself to God and others, and that you are being properly fed spiritually.

May God bless you.

Answer 5

My path choose me. I never understood people talking about God; churches and temples meant nothing to me. In my teens I was in a pine forest and saw a moonrise over a lake. My awe inspired thought was "wow that is what people mean when they say 'God'". I began reading books about nature religions and realized I had always been pagan but did not know it had a name, or that others felt the way I did. If you are seeking a Christian path go to many different churches and see which one speaks to you...gives you a sense of peace and belonging. You may want to see if you like a local Unity Church, I understand they have many different denominations worshipping together and you may be able to meet people there who can offer some insight.

Answer 6

Are you thinking about choosing a religion or faith to follow?
A denomination is a group of congregations with a center.

It's a hard one to make.

I know what mine is, but I have learned it is pointless to try and sell it to other people.
The most important thing to do is to not get involved with any cult.

If you go to a church on Sunday, for example, ask to speak to the priest, or pastor, or whatever leader is there and just talk to him/her about this and see if they will help.

Answer 7

I always wanted to worship according to the Bible. So I read my copy, & asked questions of various ones, until I found the one whose teachings harmonize 100% with the Bible. That's when I really began to understand the Bible, as I began an organised personal study of it. This is a more recent Bible study aid than I initially used, but it's also actually better (more concise), too. You will find that it's loaded with links to Scriptures, for ease of research:

What Does God Require of Us?
http://watchtower.org/e/rq/index.htm?article=article_00.htm

This section in it is the one that perhaps answers your question best:

How Can You Find the True Religion? :
- Are all religions pleasing to God, or is just one? -
- Why are there so many religions that claim to be Christian?
- How can you identify true Christians?
http://watchtower.org/library/rq/article_13.htm

Answer 8

bible. I went to catholic school and a pentecostal church as a child. Later when I was around 19, I decided that the denomination didn't matter, just the Word. Style was arbitrary to me, but the content was important. So I chose to go to Calvary Chapel, a non-denominational church that studies the bible verse by verse.

Answer 9

I had a Catholic friend and she really convinced me that the Catholic Church has the truth.

I suggest reading apologetic literature for each church that you are interested in. Then if one really strikes you maybe vist it.

I would go with your heart. I believe God reveals himself to all who HONESTLY seek him.

God Bless

Answer 10

calling them demonimations is technically correct, but of course "politically incorrect" (said in whiy mocking tone)

I suggest a protestant one, perhaps Pentecostal or a non-denominational protestant that's close too it, as they tend to read Bible verses and back them up more in my experience. not to be a basher, but I can't find justification for practices such as "only eat this" or "only wear that" or "Jesus isn't God" when there are several places in scripture, even spoken by Christ Himself, that refute those points.

I tend to believe that if Scripture seems to contradict itself, you have a misunderstanding. so get into a good faith and Bible-based church.