Protestantism is the branch of Christianity that broke away from Catholicism following Martin Luther's 95 Theses in 1517. This came after a long period marked by notable papal doctrines and practices, which led many within the Catholic Church to question its legitimacy. This led to many debates and conflicts, which are discussed in more detail on the Catholicism page. Several denominations, groups of churches that organize under a common leadership, formed during the Reformation, and many more came afterward through their own varied histories, but ultimately are included under the Protestant umbrella. The unifying beliefs across these churches are the five solas:

• Sola Scriptura- Scripture Alone
• Sola Fide- Faith Alone
• Sola Gratia- Grace Alone
• Solus Christus- Christ Alone
• Soli Deo Gloria- to the glory of God alone

These Solas state that we know God through the scriptures and that there are no other authoritative works given directly by God. That is the only way to reconcile our sin before God, through his grace alone and no one else's grace, and this grace is received exclusively through faith. This grace was delivered to us by the sacrifice and resurrection of Jesus Christ, and the purpose of our existence and life is to glorify God.

We at Truth's Calling describe ourselves as an organization with representatives from multiple Protestant denominations and affirm the gospel presented in mainstream Protestantism. Though our ultimate belief is that the only way to Heaven and a proper relationship is with Christ, not through any particular church, so there will be Protestants, Catholics, and Eastern and Oriental Orthodox in Heaven, but it must be by following Christ that they go to Heaven, it is our observation and belief that this belief most aligns with Protestant Christianity.

Baptists are the largest Protestant group and do not technically qualify as a denomination historically, due to the belief that the local assembly of believers is the correct organizational structure of the church. Though conventions meet and debate doctrine, it is commonly practiced that this does not constitute centralized leadership. The Baptists are best defined with the Baptist Distinctive, which is an acronym:

• B- Biblical Authority as the only authority
• A- Autonomy of the Local Church, self-governing, not ruled by an organization
• P- Priesthood of All Believers, every believer has direct access to God
• T- Two Ordinances, Baptism and the Lord's Supper, are the only ordinances given to the Church
• I- Individual Soul Competency, Every person is directly accountable to God for their life and response to the gospel
• S- Saved and Baptized, only those who are saved by the gospel can be baptized
• T- Only church offices are the Pastor/ Elder and the deacon
• S- Separation of Church and State, everyone should have religious liberty because if faith is mandated by the government than people will not actually have faith in God but the government

Though Martin Luther had no intention to start a denomination, those who broke away from Catholicism in Germany were named Lutherans as they stood with Martin Luther. Martin Luther did not foresee the split from Catholicism as being as severe as it became; he wanted reform within the church, not a split, but as time went on, it became impossible. This is understood, as several Catholic doctrines are reflected in Lutheranism.

• Transubstantiation- the belief that the Lord's Supper is the physical body and blood of Christ
• Pedobaptism- baptizing children
• Liturgical structure- A Lutheran service and Catholic service will be very similar

In Church history, a follower of John Calvin named John Knox traveled to Scotland, taught Calvinism, and helped form the Church of Scotland, which would become the Presbyterian church. The church practices pedobaptism as a sign of our covenant with Christ; in the Lord's Supper, Christ is spiritually present but not physically; and the only church offices are the teaching Elders and ruling Elders. The Presbyterian church also upholds the Westminster Confession of Faith (1646) and the Westminster Larger and Shorter Catechisms.

The Anglican Church has a very complex history that begins in England with Henry VIII after his marriage to Catherine of Aragon in 1509. Catherine had originally been married to Henry's older brother, Arthur, who had died at 16. Due to Catherine being a relative of the emperor of the Holy Roman Empire, the strategic nature of the marriage was important to keep the peace with England, the Holy Roman Empire, and the Pope, who allowed a special exception in the canon law for Catherine to marry Henry, since you were generally not allowed to marry your brother's widow. After some time, Henry was unable to produce an heir with Catherine, which threatened the succession to the throne and could lead to governmental collapse. Upon reflection, Henry the 8th learns that scripture calls it an "impurity" to marry your brother's wife. Henry asks for a divorce because, in his mind, there is a contradiction between the exception given to him and scripture. The pope, under pressure from the Holy Roman Empire amid political tensions, declines to reverse this ruling.

In response, the Act in Restraint of Appeals, 1533, is passed, ruling that, since England is a sovereign empire, everyone's loyalty must be to the head of the English state, not to foreign leaders. This effectively declares that the Pope has no authority in England and declares the monarch the governor of the church, replacing the Pope with the archbishop of Canterbury. Anglicanism maintains a very similar structure to Catholicism, but, due to the Protestant Reformation, the Archbishop of Canterbury at the time sided with Luther, making it a Protestant denomination.

It is important to understand that, at this time, the international Anglican community has largely broken away from the Church of England due to heretical teachings and practices, though the Anglican church continues.

The Assembly of God Churches were started following the Azusa Street Revival in 1906 in Los Angeles. The major change that you will see in this denomination as opposed to the others is their embrace of the Pentecostal movement, the belief that the miraculous spiritual gifts that are in the Bible were not just for the Apostles but available to the Church throughout history, such as healing, speaking and interpreting tongues, prophesy, words from God, and miracles as a whole.

The Assembly of God would also oppose some of these denominations, as they would not embrace Calvinism but instead Arminianism, the counterbelief to Calvinism.

The Methodist church was founded by the open-air preaching of an Anglican Priest, John Wesley, and his brother, Charles Wesley, a hymnwriter. During this period, the Anglican church had fallen into deep apathy, and his sermons would be attended by tens of thousands wherever he went in England. During this time, George Whitfield, one of the most prolific preachers of all time, was having a similar ministry in the American Colonies. Though Whitfield and Wesley parted ways over their opposing viewpoints on Calvinism and Arminianism, Whitfield's work paved the way for a major American cultural transformation, creating a clear opening for the Methodist Episcopal Church.

The Methodists have a major focus on acts of service, a similar worship style to the Anglican church, and arminian beliefs. There is also a unique belief in Methodism that while on Earth you can achieve Moral Perfectionism in which you are so completely sanctified, cleansed, in Christ that you no longer sin.

Because the Protestant movement is decentralized, many of these denominations have experienced splits over various heresies. We have listed the following organizations as heretical due to various beliefs:

• Episcopal Church (TEC)
• United Methodist Church (UMC)
• Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA)
• Presbyterian Church USA (PCUSA)

This is by no means an exhaustive list, but because they use similar names, it can be confusing.

Being a protestant does not mean you automatically go to Heaven; in fact, no church can deliver you to Heaven. It is only through Christ that you can be reconciled and brought to spiritual life from death. The Protestant Churches generally preach the gospel that leads to Heaven, but it is up to the individual to accept the truth, repent and have faith in Christ and what he did.