Mainline Protestant

Mainline Protestants are a group of well-known Protestant church traditions in the United States and Canada. They are often called modernist or oldline Protestants. They usually have more liberal or progressive ideas in their faith, unlike many other Protestant groups.

These churches have often worked together through groups like the National Council of Churches.

Mainline Protestant churches focus on helping others and on personal faith. They tend to have more open and modern views compared to other Protestant churches. In the past, most Protestants in America were part of these mainline groups, but today they make up a smaller part of the Protestant community in the country. Some well-known examples of mainline Protestant denominations today include the United Methodists, the Evangelical Lutherans, the Episcopalians, the Presbyterians (PCUSA), and the United Church of Christ.

Terminology

The term mainline Protestant began in the 1920s during talks between different Protestant groups. Some think the name comes from the Philadelphia Main Line, a rich area near Philadelphia with many members of these churches. Today, these churches are mostly in the northeastern and midwestern parts of the United States.

In the United States, Protestant churches are often split into two groups: mainline Protestants and evangelical or theologically conservative Protestants. The term is also sometimes used for historic Protestant churches in Canada, Europe, Hong Kong, Latin America, and South Africa. In other parts of the world, people might use the word ecumenical instead. Some people have said the term mainline focused mostly on White American Protestants for a long time.

The word mainstream Christian is different from mainline Protestant. It is used in academic studies to talk about widely accepted beliefs, and it includes many types of Christians beyond just mainline Protestants. In places like the United Kingdom and Australia, the term mainline Protestant isn’t always used, and mainstream doesn’t always mean the same thing as progressive Protestant.

Denominations

The largest mainline Protestant churches are sometimes called the "Seven Sisters of American Protestantism." These include:

• United Methodist Church (UMC)
• Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA)
• Episcopal Church (TEC)
• Presbyterian Church (USA) (PCUSA)
• American Baptist Churches USA (ABCUSA)
• United Church of Christ (UCC)
• Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) (DOC)

The term 'mainline' also applies to Canadian Protestant churches that share origins with their US counterparts, such as the United Church of Canada, Anglican Church of Canada, and others.

These same sources also consider "Mainline" other denominations outside the US, including the Anglican Church of Mexico and Mennonite Church Canada.

Historically, African American denominations are usually categorized differently, but some groups like the African Methodist Episcopal Church are also seen as fitting the mainline description.

Some denominations with similar names are not considered mainline, such as the Southern Baptist Convention and the Lutheran Church–Missouri Synod. These groups are more theologically conservative and are grouped as confessional or evangelical.

Theology

Mainline Protestantism has many different beliefs and ideas. People in these churches can have views that range from traditional to modern. Many mainline Protestants are open to other faiths and believe that people who are not Christian can still find a place in heaven. They also support the idea that women can be leaders in the church and that people of all backgrounds are welcome.

These churches often study the Bible carefully, looking at its history and meaning. They teach that the Bible is important but should be understood in the context of the times it was written. Some people in these churches feel that leaders sometimes have different views than most members, which can cause some disagreement. Mainline churches also focus on helping others and working for fairness and justice in society.

Social issues

Many mainline Protestant denominations share similar views on important social topics. They support equal treatment for all genders and allow women to be leaders in their churches.

These churches also talk about politics, but they do not support any one candidate. They often invite leaders from different political groups to speak to their members. For example, in 2025, a candidate for mayor of New York spoke at two mainline churches.

Regarding relationships and families, many mainline churches believe that marriage should be a faithful commitment between two people, no matter their gender. After same-sex marriage became legal in some places, several of these churches began allowing ceremonies to bless same-sex marriages. Each church decides for itself whether to do this. This change started in the Netherlands in 2001 and has since spread to other parts of the world.

Statistical decline

United States

The term "mainline" used to mean these churches were the most common, but that is no longer true. Since the 1960s, fewer people have been joining Protestant churches. In 1970, these churches included 63% of the U.S. population. By 2000, this dropped to 54%, and by 2024, to just 40%. Churches with older members often struggle to grow.

One reason for this decline is the rise of non-denominational Christian churches. In 1972, only about 3% of Americans identified this way, but by 2020, that number grew to over 13%. These churches have grown quickly, unlike many traditional mainline churches.

Contrast with other Protestant denominations

While many Protestant groups have seen membership decline, mainline churches have been affected more strongly. In 2024, only about 11.5% of U.S. adults identified as mainline, compared to 23.1% who identified as evangelical. Some researchers say that lower birth rates among mainline members are a big reason for this difference. Mainline churches also tend to have older members and fewer young families.

Trends

Some other trends include:

• From 1958 to 2008, mainline church membership fell by more than one-quarter.
• By 2009, nearly 40% of mainline church attendees were single.
• From 1998 to 2008, volunteerism dropped by 21%, and adult Sunday school participation decreased by 17%.
• The average age of a mainline pastor rose from 48 in 1998 to 55 by 2009.
• Mainline pastors usually stay with a church for four years, while non-mainline pastors often stay twice as long.

Even as membership declines, members of mainline churches tend to have higher incomes than evangelical church members.

History

See also: History of Protestantism in the United States

The word "mainline" for churches started in the 1900s, but these churches began during the Protestant Reformation in the 1500s. The biggest Protestant groups in Britain's Thirteen Colonies were the Anglicans (who became called Episcopalians after the American Revolution) and the Congregationalists, from which the Unitarians later separated. Later, Baptists, Presbyterians, and Methodists grew and joined these groups to form what we call the mainline today.

The Great Awakening caused disagreement among Protestant churches. Some, called Old Lights, did not like emotional revival meetings, while others, called New Lights, supported them and thought personal religious experiences were important. By the 1800s, some Old Lights moved toward more liberal religious ideas.

The Second Great Awakening led to a time when active Protestant groups were very important in American society. They worked to improve women's rights, change prisons, create free public schools, stop alcohol use, and end slavery in the North.

After the Civil War, new disagreements started about how to understand the Bible. Some believed the Bible was completely true without error, while others thought it could be studied using history to learn more.

As the 1900s began, a big debate happened between these two groups. Those who wanted to keep traditional beliefs lost, and the more liberal side took control of the mainline churches.

Episcopalians and Presbyterian WASPs often had more money and education than most other religious groups in America. They were important in business, law, and politics, especially in the Republican Party. Many very wealthy families, like the Vanderbilts, Astors, and Rockefeller, were part of these groups.

In the 1940s and 1950s, a new idea called neo-orthodoxy became popular in these churches, but later liberal ideas returned strongly.

Recent history

Mainline Protestants were the majority of Protestants in the United States until the middle of the 1900s. Since then, their numbers have dropped more than other groups. In recent years, around 11% of American adults identify as mainline Protestant, while about 23% identify as evangelical Protestants.

Mainline churches often work together on social issues through groups like the National Council of Churches. They have been active in movements for civil rights and women's rights. They believe in both helping society and personal faith.

Members of these churches have often been leaders in many areas of life, including politics, business, science, and the arts. They helped start many important schools and colleges.

Some mainline Protestant groups have more people with college degrees than average. For example, the Episcopal Church has 76% of its members with some college education, the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) has 64%, and the United Church of Christ has 46%, compared to the national average of 50%.

In the 1990s, four of the US Supreme Court Justices were Mainline Protestants.

From 1854 until around 1964, Mainline Protestants and their families mostly supported the Republican Party. In recent decades, Republicans have slightly more members than Democrats among these groups.

From 1965 to 1988, the number of people in mainline churches went down from 31 million to 25 million, and then to 21 million in 2005. In 1970, mainline churches included most Protestants and over 30 percent of the population, but today they are a smaller group; in 2009, only 15 percent of Americans were members. A Pew Forum statistic showed the same share in 2014.

Conservative factions

In recent years, some people with more traditional beliefs have worked to bring back stronger, traditional ideas within mainline churches. Groups like the Confessing Movement have used social media to share these ideas with younger people, such as Generation Z.