# What are the differences among Protestant denominations? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [September 11, 2008, 10:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-differences-among-protestant-denominations/463168 "2008-09-11T22:04:15Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 5\ **Page:** 5
**Author:** ![Nars\_Glinley](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/nars_glinley/32/8177_2.png) [@Nars\_Glinley](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nars_Glinley)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2008, 12:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-differences-among-protestant-denominations/463168/81 "2008-09-18T12:48:29Z")
> [@Mister\_Rik](#): > > We also do both of these in the Foursquare Church. Methodists also baptize infants. Although I personally am opposed to the practice, both of my kids were baptized as babies. It’s more like a christening (I think) but they do call it a baptism. Of course, being Methodists, the kids are free to get re-baptized anytime and in any way that they like. Both of mine got dunked in the lake where we live. ---
**Author:** ![Algernon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/a183cd/32.png) [@Algernon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Algernon)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2008, 9:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-differences-among-protestant-denominations/463168/82 "2008-09-18T21:33:15Z")
> [@Alan\_Smithee](#): > > I’ve heard Assemblies people adamantly state that they are NOT Pentacostal. Nevertheless, I’d say AoG probably has more in common with other Pentacostal denominations than with other Evangelical denominations. That’s interesting. My father explicitly stated that we were Pentacostal, not Evangelical, so his opinion and yours are the same. Yet you say you’ve heard some Assemblies people argue that they’re NOT Pentacostal. There is clearly confusion, even amongst themselves. Though I wonder how much it really matters. I don’t know what it really means to be Pentacostal or Evangelical. ---
**Author:** ![Mister\_Rik](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mister_rik/32/491_2.png) [@Mister\_Rik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mister_Rik)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2008, 11:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-differences-among-protestant-denominations/463168/83 "2008-09-18T23:49:15Z")
> [@CrazyChop](#): > > Where does Charismatics church fit in? > > I was a from a Brethren church, though I am not sure if it could be defined as a faction. The biggest difference from other denominations are that there are no pastors or “full-time workers” in the church. Everything is ran by the laymen, from elders to deacons, from the preacher (which is rotated every week) to those in missions. The one I am from is particularly influenced by the teaching of Watchman Nee. > > Could anyone provide more information on this branch of Christianity? Watchman Nee? Isn’t that The Local Church? My grandmother attended The Church of the Brethren, while my aunt attends The Local Church - two different things. > [@KRM](#): > > > [@Mister Rik](#): > > > > We also do both of these in the Foursquare Church. > > Methodists also baptize infants. Although I personally am opposed to the practice, both of my kids were baptized as babies. It’s more like a christening (I think) but they do call it a baptism. Of course, being Methodists, the kids are free to get re-baptized anytime and in any way that they like. Both of mine got dunked in the lake where we live. Oops, I guess I wasn’t clear. By “both of these” I meant that we do both full-immersion baptism of adults, and baby dedications. We don’t baptize (by sprinkling or otherwise) infants. ---
**Author:** ![Rucksinator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/898d66/32.png) [@Rucksinator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rucksinator)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2008, 1:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-differences-among-protestant-denominations/463168/84 "2008-09-19T01:31:49Z")
I attended a Baptist church and school from 4th grade through 8th. I vaguely remember our Bible teacher/basketball coach explaining that the main difference between Baptists and Methodists was that one believe that once you’re saved, you’re saved for good, and the other believes that a Christian can fall from grace and go to hell. (However, I don’t remember which was which.) He read us a verse that the Methodists use to support their position, then explained where their thinking was off. At the time I didn’t understand the verse at all. I always wanted to revisit the verst when I was older and wiser. Anybody know what verse he might be referring to? Would you say that that characterization of the differences between Baptists and Methodists is mostly correct? (I think that if the sprinkling vs. immersion thing was discussed, it was considered a minor difference of practice, not of theology.) [FWIW, my grandmother was a Methodist, and we’d go to her church when we visited, and I don’t remember seeing any significant differences.] ---
**Author:** ![Crowbar\_of\_Irony\_3](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f08c70/32.png) [@Crowbar\_of\_Irony\_3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crowbar_of_Irony_3)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2008, 8:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-differences-among-protestant-denominations/463168/85 "2008-09-22T20:50:33Z")
> [@Rucksinator](#): > > verse at all. I always wanted to revisit the verst when I was older and wiser. > > Anybody know what verse he might be referring to? Would you say that that characterization of the differences between Baptists and Methodists is mostly correct? (I think that if the sprinkling vs. immersion thing was discussed, it was considered a minor difference of practice, not of theology.) Is it the parable of the Sheep and the Goat? Or the parable of the wedding where one showed up not wearing proper wedding clothes and were thrown out? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-differences-among-protestant-denominations/463168.md?page=4)