New Churches

Christian Movements Founded in The Last 200 Years

Here are the main Christian movements, denominations, and sects founded since the 1820s, grouped by era. Some groups at the fringe call themselves Christian, but most other churches don’t accept them as such; those are noted below.

19th century: Restorationist and adventist wave

  • Plymouth Brethren (late 1820s, Ireland/England), founded by John Nelson Darby and others.
  • Latter Day Saint movement (1830, USA), founded by Joseph Smith. It includes The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and Community of Christ. Its non-trinitarian theology means many churches don’t consider it Christian.
  • Restoration Movement (1830s, USA), which produced the Churches of Christ and the Disciples of Christ.
  • Christadelphians (1848), founded by John Thomas. Non-trinitarian.
  • Seventh-day Adventists (1863), which grew out of the Millerite movement.
  • New Apostolic Church (1863, Germany).
  • Salvation Army (1865, London), founded by William and Catherine Booth.
  • Jehovah’s Witnesses (1870s), which began as Charles Taze Russell’s Bible Student movement and took its current name in 1931. Non-trinitarian.
  • Christian Science (1879), founded by Mary Baker Eddy.
  • Holiness churches, such as the Church of God (Anderson, 1881) and the Church of the Nazarene (1908).

Early 20th century: Pentecostal explosion and the global South

  • Pentecostalism, which emerged at Topeka in 1901 and the Azusa Street Revival in 1906. It spawned the Assemblies of God (1914), the Church of God in Christ, the Foursquare Church (1927), and Oneness Pentecostals such as the United Pentecostal Church (1945).
  • Zion Christian Church (1910, South Africa).
  • Iglesia ni Cristo (1914, Philippines), founded by Felix Manalo.
  • True Jesus Church (1917, China).
  • Kimbanguist Church (1921, Congo).

Mid to late 20th century

  • Redeemed Christian Church of God (1952, Nigeria).
  • Unification Church (1954, South Korea), founded by Sun Myung Moon. It is widely regarded as a new religious movement rather than a Christian church.
  • Branch Davidians (1950s), an offshoot of the Adventists.
  • Charismatic movement (1960s onward), which produced Calvary Chapel (1965) and the Vineyard (1982).
  • The Family International (1968), formerly the Children of God.
  • Society of St. Pius X (1970), a traditionalist Catholic group.
  • Universal Church of the Kingdom of God (1977, Brazil).
  • Hillsong (1983, Australia).
  • Shincheonji (1984, South Korea), founded by Lee Man-hee.
  • Church of Almighty God (“Eastern Lightning”) (1991, China).

21st century: mostly splits rather than new sects

  • Anglican Church in North America (2009), which broke from the Episcopal Church over theology and sexuality.
  • Orthodox Church of Ukraine (2018), which received independent status from Constantinople.
  • Global Methodist Church (2022), a conservative split from the United Methodist Church.

The biggest stories of this period are:

  1. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints “Mormon” (1830)
  2. Seventh-day Adventists (1863)
  3. Jehovah’s Witnesses (1931)
  4. The United Pentecostal Church (1945)