Are Nondenominational Congregations Really Evangelical?

ABSTRACT

Nondenominational congregations have become increasingly prominent in American Christianity. Although often considered Evangelical in theology and practice, recent studies at the individual level suggest that nondenominational may be a religious category distinct from other forms of Christianity. Using pooled data from the National Congregations Study (NCS) ( N  = 4054), we test whether nondenominational congregations differ from Evangelicals in composition, worship practices, and theological and political orientations. Results reveal that nondenominational congregations closely resemble Evangelical congregations in political and theological orientation, whereas significant differences remain in worship practice, age composition, racial composition, and whether gay couples are permitted as members. This study extends previous research by providing an organizational analysis of nondenominationalism and highlights the need to reassess the categorization of nondenominational congregations in existing religious classification schemes like RELTRAD.