Christianity

Christianity is a religion centering around the teachings of Jesus, who lived in the Middle East about two thousand years ago. It is generally divided into three groups: Protestantism, Catholicism, and Eastern Orthodoxy. A group of Christians meeting together is called a church; many different kinds of churches can be found in Bloomington.

Bloomington's founders were mostly Christians, and the majority of religious people in the area are Christians of some sort or another. Protestantism was the first Christian movement in Monroe County, although a few Catholics settled in the area early in its history; Catholics have become much stronger, while Protestant churches are still by far the most numerous. Only in recent years has there been an Orthodox church near Bloomington. Many different types of Protestants have been present in Monroe County, including Baptists, the Church of Christ, Episcopalians, independents (each church is separate from all others, even ones just like it), Lutherans, Methodists, Pentecostals, and Presbyterians; except for the Episcopalians, each of these types has been represented by multiple churches, often of somewhat different denominations. Prominent examples of each of the types of churches mentioned above include:

• Catholic: St. Charles Borromeo Church
• Orthodox: All Saints Orthodox Church
• Baptist: University Baptist Church
• Church of Christ: First Christian Church
• Episcopalian: Trinity Episcopal Church
• Independent: Evangelical Community Church
• Lutheran: University Lutheran Church
• Methodist: First United Methodist Church
• Pentecostal: First Assembly of God
• Presbyterian: First Presbyterian Church

Besides their churches, Christians in Monroe County have founded several schools and many of the county's cemeteries, such as St. Charles School, and the Covenanter and White Oak Cemeteries.