Mainline Protestant
The mainline Protestant churches (sometimes also known as oldline Protestants)[1][2][3] are a group of Protestant denominations in the United States and Canada largely of the theologically liberal or theologically progressive persuasion that contrast in history and practice with the largely theologically conservative Evangelical, Fundamentalist, Charismatic, Confessional, Confessing Movement, historically Black church, and Global South Protestant denominations and congregations.[4][5][6][7][8] Some make a distinction between "mainline" and "oldline", with the former referring only to denominational ties and the latter referring to church lineage, prestige and influence.[9] However, this distinction has largely been lost to history and the terms are now nearly synonymous.
Not to be confused with Mainstream Christianity.Mainline Protestant churches have stressed social justice and personal salvation, and both politically and theologically, tend to be more liberal than non-mainline Protestant churches. Mainline Protestant churches share a common approach that often leads to collaboration in organizations such as the National Council of Churches, and because of their involvement with the ecumenical movement, they are sometimes given the alternative label of "ecumenical Protestantism" (especially outside the United States). While in 1970 the mainline Protestant churches claimed most Protestants and more than 30 percent of the American population as members, as of 2009 they are a minority among American Protestants, claiming approximately 15 percent of American adults. Some have criticized the term mainline for its alleged White Anglo-Saxon Protestant ethnocentric and elitist assumptions, and its erroneous association with the term "mainstream", since the term mainline almost exclusively described White, non-fundamentalist and non-evangelical Protestant Americans from its origin to the late twentieth century.[7][8][4]
The largest mainline churches are sometimes referred to as the "Seven Sisters of American Protestantism,"[17] a term apparently coined by William Hutchison.[18] The "Seven Sisters" are:
The term 'mainline' has also been applied to Canadian Protestant churches that share common origins with their US counterparts[27][28] such as the:
The Association of Religion Data Archives, Pew Research, and other sources also consider these denominations, listed with adherents and members, to be mainline:[36][37]
These same sources also consider "Mainline" other denominations outside the US, including:
Historically African American denominations are usually categorized differently from evangelicals or mainline.[60] However, in 2014 the Christian Century identified these groups with the "fit the mainline description."[61]
Though not listed as mainline in either the Association of Religion Data Archives or the Pew Research classifications, two groups also appeal to this label.
Some denominations with similar names and historical ties to the Seven Sisters mainline groups are not considered mainline: The Southern Baptist Convention (SBC) [13.2 million],[70] Lutheran Church–Missouri Synod (LCMS) [1.8 million],[71] the Churches of Christ and Christian churches [1.1 million each],[72][73] the Presbyterian Church in America (PCA) [0.4 million],[74] the Anglican Church in North America (ACNA) [0.13 million],[75] and the Conservative Congregational Christian Conference (CCCC) [0.04 million]. After the recent split of the UMC, the Global Methodist Church (GMC) could be added to this list, though no official census is currently known. Since these groups are too theologically conservative to be considered mainline, those strictly adhering to historical rules of faith are grouped as confessional, while those without are grouped as evangelical.
*The National Association of Congregational Christian Churches is considered to be evangelical by Pew Research[76] while the Association of Religion Data Archives considered it to be mainline.