Changes

* the [[Roman Catholic Church]] (approx. 1.1 billion baptized members, tracing their roots back to [[Saint Peter]] who they believed established the Church and the succession of the [[Pope]]s as the spiritual authority of the Christian body of believers.)  

* the [[Roman Catholic Church]] (approx. 1.1 billion baptized members, tracing their roots back to [[Saint Peter]] who they believed established the Church and the succession of the [[Pope]]s as the spiritual authority of the Christian body of believers.)  

* the [[Orthodox Churches]] (approx. 300 million baptized members) which hold ancient theological roots stretching back to the beginnings of Christianity.  Different theological perspectives led to the [[Great Schism]] between the Western Roman Catholic Church and the Eastern Orthodox Catholic Church in A.D. 1054.  In 1992 a statement of theological agreement was issued between the Eastern and Oriental Orthodox Churches; and although not universally recognized, most observers would now group these Churches together theologically.  

* the [[Orthodox Churches]] (approx. 300 million baptized members) which hold ancient theological roots stretching back to the beginnings of Christianity.  Different theological perspectives led to the [[Great Schism]] between the Western Roman Catholic Church and the Eastern Orthodox Catholic Church in A.D. 1054.  In 1992 a statement of theological agreement was issued between the Eastern and Oriental Orthodox Churches; and although not universally recognized internally, most observers would now group these Churches together theologically.  

* [[Protestantism]], the largest Communion being the Anglicans (approx. 77 million baptized members). Protestantism has its origins in the European Reformation. It first broke away from the Roman Catholic Church under [[Martin Luther]] when differences over the nature of faith and works in the role of [[Christianity#salvation|salvation]] could not be adequately reconciled as well as other practices that Luther saw in the Catholic Church at that time that he did not agree with. Other preachers and movements then followed Luther's example and also left the Catholic fold.

* [[Protestantism]], the largest Communion being the Anglicans (approx. 77 million baptized members). Protestantism has its origins in the European Reformation. It first broke away from the Roman Catholic Church under [[Martin Luther]] when differences over the nature of faith and works in the role of [[Christianity#salvation|salvation]] could not be adequately reconciled as well as other practices that Luther saw in the Catholic Church at that time that he did not agree with. Other preachers and movements then followed Luther's example and also left the Catholic fold.