Editing Mainline Protestant (section)

==Denominations==
[[File:12-07-12-Washington National Cathedral-RalfR-N3S 5678-5694.jpg|thumb|upright=0.9|[[Washington National Cathedral]], an Episcopal cathedral in [[Washington, D.C.]]]]
[[File:1stChurchofChrist FarmingtonCT.jpg|thumb|upright=0.9|A [[Congregational church]] of the [[United Church of Christ]] denomination in [[Farmington, Connecticut]]]]
[[File:Augustana Lutheran Church - sign.JPG|thumb|upright=0.9|Augustana Lutheran Church in Washington, D.C., belonging to the [[Evangelical Lutheran Church in America]]]]
The largest mainline churches are sometimes referred to as the "Seven Sisters of American [[Protestantism]],"<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.resourcingchristianity.org/Project.aspx?ID=850011 |title=Protestant Establishment I (Craigville Conference) |access-date=2006-09-22  |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070928035636/http://www.resourcingchristianity.org/Project.aspx?ID=850011 |archive-date=September 28, 2007 }}</ref> a term apparently coined by William Hutchison.{{sfn|Hutchison|1989}} The "Seven Sisters" are:
* [[United Methodist Church]] (UMC) is the largest mainline Protestant denomination among the "Seven Sisters" with 5.4 million members in the United States in 2022.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.umdata.org/statistics|title=Statistics for 2022|publisher=General Council on Finance and Administration – The United Methodist Church|access-date=April 20, 2024}}</ref>
* [[Evangelical Lutheran Church in America]] (ELCA) is the second largest mainline denomination with approximately 2.8 million members and 8,500 congregations at the end of 2023.<ref>{{cite web|title=Summary of Congregational Statistics as of 12/31/2023|url=https://elcamediaresources.blob.core.windows.net/cdn/wp-content/uploads/Summary_of_Congregational_Statistics_as_of_12-31-2023.pdf|website=elca.org|publisher=Evangelical Lutheran Church in America|access-date=January 13, 2025}}</ref>
* [[Episcopal Church (United States)|Episcopal Church]] (TEC) is third largest, with 1.6 million active baptized members,<ref>
{{Citation|url=https://extranet.generalconvention.org/staff/files/download/32264|title=Baptized Members by Province and Diocese 2013-2022 (pdf)|publisher=The Episcopal Church|access-date=23 December 2023}}</ref> of whom 1.4 million members are located in the United States in 2022.<ref>{{Citation|url=https://extranet.generalconvention.org/staff/files/download/32278|title=FAST FACTS From Parochial Report Data 2022|publisher=The Episcopal Church|access-date=23 December 2023}}</ref>
* [[Presbyterian Church (USA)]] (PC-USA) is the fourth largest mainline denomination, with 1.1 million active members in 8,700 congregations (2021).<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.pcusa.org/news/2023/5/1/pcusa-church-membership-still-in-decline/|title=PC(USA) church membership still in decline|first=Rick |last=Jones |date=May 1, 2023|website=Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) }}</ref>
* [[American Baptist Churches USA]] (ABC-USA) is fifth in size, with approximately 1.1 million members (2017).<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.abc-usa.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/Summary-of-Denominational-Statistics-Year-End-2017.pdf|website=ABC USA |title=Summary of Denominational Statistics {{!}} Regional Giving and Church Statistics Reported for the Year Ending December 31, 2017 |date=December 2014|access-date=2017-07-09}}</ref>
* [[United Church of Christ]] (UCC) is the sixth and has about 710,000 members in 2022.<ref>"[https://www.ucc.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/2023statisticalreport.web_.pdf A statistical profile 2023]", United Church of Christ</ref>
* [[Christian Church (Disciples of Christ)]] (DOC) is the seventh and has about 278,000 members as of 2022.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Walton |first=Jeffrey |date=2023-09-14 |title=Disciples Suffer Massive Membership Drop Post-2019 |url=https://juicyecumenism.com/2023/09/14/dc-mainline/ |access-date=2023-12-22 |website=Juicy Ecumenism |language=en-US}}</ref>

The term 'mainline' has also been applied to Canadian Protestant churches that share common origins with their US counterparts{{Sfnm |1a1=Fallding |1y=1978 |2a1=Pew Research Center |2y=2015b |2p=108}}<ref>{{Cite web |title=Mainline Denominational Switching in Canada: Comparing the Religious Trajectories of Growing and Declining Church Attendees.  |url=https://www.thefreelibrary.com/MAINLINE+DENOMINATIONAL+SWITCHING+IN+CANADA:+COMPARING+THE+RELIGIOUS...-a0557705456 |access-date=2023-01-29 |website=Free Online Library }}</ref> such as the:
* [[United Church of Canada]] 325,315 members (2023),<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://united-church.ca/sites/default/files/2024-10/united-church-statistics-2023.pdf |title=The United Church of Canada Statistics 2023 |access-date=2025-02-04}}</ref> 1.2 million adherents according to 2021 Canadian Census<ref name="statcan">{{Cite web|url=https://www12.statcan.gc.ca/census-recensement/2021/dp-pd/prof/details/page.cfm?LANG=E&GENDERlist=1&STATISTIClist=1&DGUIDlist=2021A000011124&HEADERlist=32&SearchText=Canada|title=Census Profile, 2021 Census of Population|website=Statistics Canada|access-date=14 May 2024}}</ref>
* [[Anglican Church of Canada]] 294,931 members (2022),<ref>{{cite web |last1=Elliot |first1=Neil |title=Dioceses of the ACC – by numbers |url=https://numbersmatters.ca/2024/03/15/dioceses-of-the-acc-by-numbers/ |website=Numbers Matters |publisher=(Neil Elliot is the statistics officer for the Anglican Church of Canada.) |access-date=14 May 2024 |date=15 March 2024}}</ref> 1.1 million adherents according to 2021 Canadian Census<ref name="statcan"/>
* [[Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada]] 111,570 members (2015)<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://elcic.ca/Parochial-Reports/documents/2015-ELCICAnnualSummary.pdf|title=SUMMARY OF THE ELCIC CONGREGATION REPORT FOR THE YEAR ENDING DECEMBER 31, 2015|website=elcic.ca|access-date=2017-07-09|archive-date=2017-01-01|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170101201947/http://elcic.ca/Parochial-Reports/documents/2015-ELCICAnnualSummary.pdf}}</ref>
* [[Canadian Baptist Ministries]] 81,685 members<ref>Baptist World Alliance, [https://www.baptistworld.org/member-unions/ Members], baptistworld.org, USA, retrieved May 5, 2023</ref>
* [[Presbyterian Church in Canada]] 79,961 members (2019)<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://presbyterian.ca/wp-content/uploads/2020-Records-and-Statistics.pdf|title=The presbyterian church in Canada - records and statistics - 2020|website=presbyterian.ca|access-date=2021-04-14}}</ref>
* [[Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) in Canada]] 2,606 members<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.oikoumene.org/en/member-churches/christian-church-disciples-of-christ-in-canada|title=Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) in Canada – World Council of Churches|website=oikoumene.org|date=January 1948 |language=en|access-date=2016-06-06}}</ref>

The [[Association of Religion Data Archives]], [[Pew Research Center|Pew Research]], and other sources also consider these denominations, listed with adherents and members, to be mainline:<ref name="ardomain">{{cite web |url=http://www.thearda.com/mapsReports/reports/mainline.asp |title=Mainline protestant denominations |publisher=Thearda.com |access-date=2014-05-10 |archive-date=2014-10-21 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141021231319/http://www.thearda.com/mapsReports/reports/mainline.asp  }}</ref>{{Sfn | Pew Research Center | 2015b | p = 108}}
* [[Cooperative Baptist Fellowship]] 700,000 members<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.bpnews.net/25983|title=CBF lists churches 'represented' at assembly; declines to name partner churches|website=Baptist Press|date=28 June 2007 |language=en-US|access-date=2016-05-02|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150218223032/http://www.bpnews.net/25983|archive-date=18 February 2015|author-first1=David|author-last1=Roach}}</ref>
* [[Quakers|Religious Society of Friends]] (Quakers) 350,000 members
* [[Reformed Church in America]] 104,921 members (2022)<ref>[http://crf.rca.org/public/stats/ Church Statistical Data] Reformed Church in America</ref>
* [[Mennonite Church USA]] 100,000 members<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://mennoniteusa.org/who-we-are/structure/|title=Church Structure - Mennonite Church USA|website=Mennonite Church USA|language=en-US|access-date=2016-05-02}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.religionlink.com/reporting-on/reporting-on-christianity/|title=Reporting on Protestant Christianity|date=2012-05-25|website=ReligionLink|language=en-US|access-date=2016-05-02}}</ref>
* [[Church of the Brethren]] 87,181 members (2021)<ref>{{Cite web |title=Church of the Brethren membership below 90,000 |url=https://anabaptistworld.org/church-of-the-brethren-membership-below-90000/  |access-date=2023-12-23}}</ref>
* [[International Council of Community Churches]] 69,276 members (2009)<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.thearda.com/Denoms/D_1313.asp |title=ICCC membership |publisher=Thearda.com |access-date=2014-05-10 |archive-date=2012-11-15 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121115021833/http://www.thearda.com/Denoms/D_1313.asp  }}</ref>
* [[National Association of Congregational Christian Churches]] 65,392 members (2002)<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.thearda.com/Denoms/D_1462.asp |title=NACCC membership |publisher=Thearda.com |access-date=2014-05-10 |archive-date=2012-05-31 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120531022030/http://www.thearda.com/Denoms/D_1462.asp  }}</ref>{{efn|The National Association of Congregational Christian Churches is considered to be evangelical by Pew Research{{sfn|Pew Research Center|2015b|p=106}} while the Association of Religion Data Archives considered it to be mainline.}}
* [[Alliance of Baptists]] 65,000 members<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.ucc.org/free-religion-lawsuit-additional-plaintiffs06032014|title=UCC religious freedom lawsuit adds additional plaintiffs, defendants request stay|website=United Church of Christ|access-date=2016-05-02|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160810121140/http://www.ucc.org/free-religion-lawsuit-additional-plaintiffs06032014|archive-date=2016-08-10}}</ref>
* [[Moravian Church in North America]] 60,000 members<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.moravian.org/the-moravian-church/history/|title=A Brief History of the Moravian Church « The Moravian Church « Moravian Church of North America|website=moravian.org|access-date=2016-05-02}}</ref>
* [[Metropolitan Community Church|Universal Fellowship of Metropolitan Community Churches]] 15,666 members (2006)<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.thearda.com/Denoms/D_1142.asp |title=UFMCC membership |publisher=Thearda.com |access-date=2014-05-10}}</ref>
* [[Latvian Evangelical Lutheran Church in America]] 12,000 members (2007)
* [[Estonian Evangelical Lutheran Church|Estonian Evangelical Lutheran Church Abroad]] 8,000 members<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://atlanta.clclutheran.org/bibleclass/Lutheranchurches.pdf|title=A Brief History of the Lutheran Churches in America|last1=Lau|first1=David|last2=Mayhew|first2=Nathanael|website=atlanta.clclutheran.org|access-date=May 1, 2016}}</ref>
* [[Hungarian Reformed Church in America]] 6,080 members<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.oikoumene.org/en/member-churches/hungarian-reformed-church-in-america|title=Hungarian Reformed Church in America – World Council of Churches|website=oikoumene.org|date=January 1958 |language=en|access-date=2016-05-02}}</ref>
These same sources also consider "Mainline" other denominations outside the US, including:
* [[Anglican Church of Mexico]] 100,000 members<ref name="mexico-anglican.org">{{Cite web |title=Quiénes Somos |language=es |trans-title=About Us |url=http://mexico-anglican.org/QuienesSomos.html |publisher=Anglican Church of Mexico |access-date=June 20, 2016  |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161008111317/http://mexico-anglican.org/QuienesSomos.html |archive-date=October 8, 2016 }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.cronica.com.mx/notas/2009/467560.html|title=Anglicanos mexicanos rechazan unirse a la Iglesia católica|website=cronica.com.mx|access-date=2016-06-20|quote=The Church claims this number of adherents or members, though it is most likely a much smaller percentage of this total, according to data provided by the Mexican Institute for Statistics and Geography (INEGI) which includes them among "other Protestants" in the traditional Protestant and Reformed church category. This is an "umbrella" category and includes a wide variety of churches and as a category has as adherents or members only slightly over 50,000 persons. The Anglican Church of Mexico has had a long history of overreporting its number of adherents or members as it received subsidies from the Episcopal Church in the U.S. (now TEC) depending on growth.|archive-date=2020-12-19|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201219205914/http://www.cronica.com.mx/notas/2009/467560.html}}</ref><ref>[http://internet.contenidos.inegi.org.mx/contenidos/Productos/prod_serv/contenidos/espanol/bvinegi/productos/censos/poblacion/2010/panora_religion/religiones_2010.pdf "Panorama de las religiones en México 2010"]</ref><ref>Consejo</ref>
* [[Mennonite Church Canada]] 31,000 members<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://home.mennonitechurch.ca/about|title=About Mennonite Church Canada {{!}} Mennonite Church Canada|website=home.mennonitechurch.ca|access-date=2016-06-06}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.beliefnet.com/faiths/2000/08/in-search-of-an-amish-church.aspx|title=In Search of an Amish Church|website=beliefnet.com|access-date=2016-06-06}}</ref>
* The term is also occasionally used to refer to historic Protestant churches in Europe, Latin America, and South Africa.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Turner |first=John |date=March 22, 2013 |title=The Rise of Liberal Religion |url=http://www.patheos.com/blogs/anxiousbench/2013/03/the-rise-of-liberal-religion/ |work=The Anxious Bench |publisher=Patheos |access-date=June 28, 2016}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Masci |first=David |date=November 14, 2014 |title=Why has Pentecostalism grown so dramatically in Latin America? |url=http://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2014/11/14/why-has-pentecostalism-grown-so-dramatically-in-latin-america/ |work=Fact Tank |publisher=Pew Research Center |access-date=June 28, 2016}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://communitas.co.za/vennote/savgg/savgg-artikels/mainline-protestantism-in-south-africa-and-modernity/|title=Mainline Protestantism in South Africa and modernity|date=2008-09-05|language=en-US|access-date=2016-06-28}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title="Christians are a minority now, but that helps us start new conversations"|url=https://evangelicalfocus.com/europe/8076/christians-are-a-minority-now-but-that-helps-us-start-new-conversations|access-date=2021-07-20|website=Evangelical Focus|language=en}}</ref>

Historically African American denominations are usually categorized differently from evangelicals or mainline.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.vox.com/the-big-idea/2017/7/14/15959682/evangelical-mainline-voting-patterns-trump|title=Mainline churches are emptying. The political effects could be huge.|work=Vox|access-date=2017-11-07}}</ref> However, in 2014 the ''[[Christian Century]]'' identified that these groups "fit the mainline description."<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.christiancentury.org/article/2014-06/glory-days|title=Glory days? The myth of the mainline|work=The Christian Century|date=2014-07-02|access-date=2017-11-07|language=en}}</ref>
* [[African Methodist Episcopal Church]] 2.5 million<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.oikoumene.org/en/member-churches/african-methodist-episcopal-church|title=African Methodist Episcopal Church — World Council of Churches|website=oikoumene.org|date=January 1948 |language=en|access-date=2017-11-07}}</ref>
* [[African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church]] 1.4 million<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.oikoumene.org/en/member-churches/african-methodist-episcopal-zion-church|title=African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church — World Council of Churches|website=oikoumene.org|date=January 1948 |language=en|access-date=2017-11-07}}</ref>
* [[Christian Methodist Episcopal Church]] 858,670 members<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.oikoumene.org/en/member-churches/christian-methodist-episcopal-church|title=Christian Methodist Episcopal Church – World Council of Churches|website=oikoumene.org|date=January 1948 |language=en|access-date=2016-05-02}}</ref>

Though not listed as mainline in either the [[Association of Religion Data Archives]] or the [[Pew Research Center|Pew Research]] classifications, two groups also appeal to this label. 
* The practices of the [[Community of Christ]] ([[Latter Day Saint movement]]) [with 250,000 adherentes]<ref>{{Cite web |title=Community of Christ and Consolidated Affiliates Consolidated Financial Report |date=December 31, 2020 |access-date=April 6, 2022 |url= https://s3.amazonaws.com/monkdev.mnk.26072/uploaded/a/0e13535791_1641229532_audit-report-for-fiscal-year-2020.pdf |archive-date=April 7, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220407004257/https://s3.amazonaws.com/monkdev.mnk.26072/uploaded/a/0e13535791_1641229532_audit-report-for-fiscal-year-2020.pdf |url-status=live }}</ref>) are typified as congruent with mainline Protestantism.<ref>{{Harvnb|Vanel|2017|pages=95, 108}}.</ref>{{sfn|Launius|1998|p=48}}
* While no longer exclusively Christian, the [[Unitarian Universalist Association]] [with 211,000 adherents] considers itself to be mainline.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2012/10/01/unitarian-faith-growing-stronger-nationwide/1607243/|title=Unitarian faith growing nationwide|website=USA Today|access-date=2016-06-03}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.uua.org/lgbtq/witness/199573.shtml|title=Unitarian Universalist Affirmation of Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, and Transgender People {{!}} UUA.org|date=2012-08-21|website=UUA.org|access-date=2016-06-03}}</ref>

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],<ref>Aaron Earls, [https://www.baptistpress.com/resource-library/news/southern-baptists-grow-in-attendance-and-baptisms-decline-in-membership/ Southern Baptists grow in attendance and baptisms, decline in membership], baptistpress.com, USA, May 9, 2023</ref> [[Lutheran Church–Missouri Synod]] (LCMS) [1.8 million],<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://files.lcms.org/file/preview/DDCFD8B0-7812-4213-93D2-022A50CC2B94|title=LCMS Inc. Annual Report - 2021|access-date=20 June 2022}}</ref> the [[Churches of Christ]] and [[Christian churches and churches of Christ|Christian churches]] [1.1 million each],<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.21stcc.com/pdfs/ccusa_stats_sheet.pdf |title=Churches of Christ in the United States |website=21st Century Christian |date=June 2020 |first=Carl H. |last=Royster |access-date=August 26, 2020 |archive-date=July 29, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200729184935/https://www.21stcc.com/pdfs/ccusa_stats_sheet.pdf  }}</ref><ref>Ron Rhodes, ''The Complete Guide to Christian Denominations'', Harvest House, 2007</ref> the [[Presbyterian Church in America]] (PCA) [0.4 million],<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.pcaac.org/resources/pca-statistics-five-year-summary/|title=PCA Statistics Five Year Summary|publisher=Pcaac.org|access-date=26 October 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141027065335/http://www.pcaac.org/resources/pca-statistics-five-year-summary/|archive-date=27 October 2014|url-status=live}}</ref> the [[Anglican Church in North America]] (ACNA) [0.13 million],<ref>{{cite web |url=https://c119b78671d19b8aee34-1ab073aa91389396dfc8b6aabc9b141e.ssl.cf2.rackcdn.com/Provincial_Meeting_Journal_web.pdf |title=Anglican Church in North America |access-date=5 June 2016  |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160305032325/https://c119b78671d19b8aee34-1ab073aa91389396dfc8b6aabc9b141e.ssl.cf2.rackcdn.com/Provincial_Meeting_Journal_web.pdf |archive-date=5 March 2016  }}</ref> 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 [[Conservative Christianity|theologically conservative]] to be considered mainline, those strictly adhering to historical [[Creed|rules of faith]] are grouped as [[Confessionalism_(religion)|confessional]], while those without are grouped as [[Evangelicalism|evangelical]].