Mother Church
Encyclopedia
In Christianity
, the term mother church or Mother Church may have one of the following meanings:
in Honolulu, Hawai'i
was the site of the first French
Catholic
mission of the Congregation of the Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary
, from which the modern Hawai'i Catholic Church
was established. Under these circumstances it is today considered the mother church of all Hawai'i.
of an episcopal see
is often considered the mother church of a diocese. Holy Name Cathedral
in Chicago, Illinois falls under this category. While it was not the first Roman Catholic cathedral of the city, it became the mother church due to the presence of the episcopal cathedra
. This form of distinction based on hierarchical importance is usually used by the Roman Catholic Church
, and, sometimes, the churches of the Anglican Communion
, while most Protestant denominations tend to refrain from using the title in this manner. A notable exception is the First Church of Christ, Scientist
in Boston
, Massachusetts
, which is commonly called the "Mother Church".
s, royal orders or civic orders. For example, Madonna Della Strada Chapel
is the mother church of the Province of Chicago of the Society of Jesus
. It is the principal church of the Jesuits in its particular province which includes Illinois
, Indiana
, Kentucky
and Ohio
. On a broader scale, the Chiesa del Gesu
in Rome
is the mother church of all Jesuits throughout the world as it is the church of the order's Superior General.
es in America), a mother church may have daughter churches in one or more organizations.
in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
founded in 1794 is the "mother church" of the African Methodist Episcopal Church
.
is The First Church of Christ, Scientist (Boston, Massachusetts), the Church of Christ Scientist of which all others are branches. Per the Manual of The Mother Church
, the legal title of the Mother Church is "The First Church of Christ, Scientist," and while its branch church may call themselves, First Church of Christ, Scientist, or Second Church of Christ, Scientist, etc., they are prohibited from using "The" in front of their names. Only The Mother Church can do so.
is the mother church of the Church of Our Lord Jesus Christ of the Apostolic Faith
, an Apostolic Pentecostal denomination. As such, it is also ultimately the mother church of its various off-shoot churches and organizations, including both Bible Way organizations and the Church of the Lord Jesus Christ
and its daughter churches. In addition, churches that were independently founded by ministers who were ordained or directly influenced by the church's founder, Robert C. Lawson, or his spiritual successor, William L. Bonner, may also look to Greater Refuge Temple as their mother church, including the Progressive Church of Our Lord Jesus Christ, the Evangelistic Church of Christ, and many others.
, Anglican churches and other Christian faith communities formed over time from these.
s, Eastern Orthodox Christians, Anglicans and many other Christian denominations, Mother Church, or Holy Mother Church, is believed to refer to the Universal Church
or Church Universal, which is considered to be the Bride of Christ and the Mother of all the Christian faithful regardless of manmade divisions or denominations.
is often referred to as the 'Mother Church' among African-American Baptists. This Convention is the oldest and largest of the Conventions and all other National Baptists trace origin to her. Not only do all National Baptists trace origination from the NBCUSA but several large Pentecostal Organizations do as well.
Christianity
Christianity is a monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus as presented in canonical gospels and other New Testament writings...
, the term mother church or Mother Church may have one of the following meanings:
- The first missionMission (station)A religious mission or mission station is a location for missionary work.While primarily a Christian term, the concept of the religious "mission" is also used prominently by the Church of Scientology and their Scientology Missions International....
church in an area, or a pioneer cathedral - A basilicaBasilicaThe Latin word basilica , was originally used to describe a Roman public building, usually located in the forum of a Roman town. Public basilicas began to appear in Hellenistic cities in the 2nd century BC.The term was also applied to buildings used for religious purposes...
or cathedralCathedralA cathedral is a Christian church that contains the seat of a bishop... - The main chapel of a province of a religious orderReligious orderA religious order is a lineage of communities and organizations of people who live in some way set apart from society in accordance with their specific religious devotion, usually characterized by the principles of its founder's religious practice. The order is composed of initiates and, in some...
- A plantation church — that is, the "mother" of several "daughter churches",
- A church of historical importance to a Christian community, including the following:
- Mother Bethel A.M.E. ChurchMother Bethel A.M.E. ChurchThe Mother Bethel African Methodist Episcopal Church was founded in 1794 by Richard Allen, an African-American Methodist minister. The church has been located at the corner of Sixth and Lombard Streets in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, since that time, making it the oldest church property continuously...
, the "mother church" of the African Methodist Episcopal ChurchAfrican Methodist Episcopal ChurchThe African Methodist Episcopal Church, usually called the A.M.E. Church, is a predominantly African American Methodist denomination based in the United States. It was founded by the Rev. Richard Allen in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, in 1816 from several black Methodist congregations in the...
; - Cathedral of Christ the King, the "mother church" of the Anglo Pentecostal Communion (The Rt. Reverend Steven Smith, Archbishop)
- The Mother Church: The First Church of Christ, Scientist (Boston, Massachusetts), the Church of Christ Scientist of which all others are branches;
- Greater Refuge Temple Church, the Mother Church of the Church of Our Lord Jesus Christ of the Apostolic FaithChurch of Our Lord Jesus Christ of the Apostolic FaithThe Church of Our Lord Jesus Christ of the Apostolic Faith is a Oneness Pentecostal church organized in 1919.The Church of Our Lord Jesus Christ, as it is most commonly known, was organized by Robert C. Lawson. Lawson, a protégé of G.T...
; and - The Roman Catholic ChurchRoman Catholic ChurchThe Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the world's largest Christian church, with over a billion members. Led by the Pope, it defines its mission as spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ, administering the sacraments and exercising charity...
, as the Mother Church of Western ChristianityWestern ChristianityWestern Christianity is a term used to include the Latin Rite of the Catholic Church and groups historically derivative thereof, including the churches of the Anglican and Protestant traditions, which share common attributes that can be traced back to their medieval heritage...
; - The Patriarchate of Constantinople, as Mother Church of Eastern European Orthodox churches
- The Church of EnglandChurch of EnglandThe Church of England is the officially established Christian church in England and the Mother Church of the worldwide Anglican Communion. The church considers itself within the tradition of Western Christianity and dates its formal establishment principally to the mission to England by St...
, as the Mother Church of the Anglican CommunionAnglican CommunionThe Anglican Communion is an international association of national and regional Anglican churches in full communion with the Church of England and specifically with its principal primate, the Archbishop of Canterbury...
- Mother Bethel A.M.E. Church
- The Universal Church or Church Universal, which is the Bride of Christ.
- The National Baptist Convention, USA, Inc.National Baptist Convention, USA, Inc.The National Baptist Convention, USA, Inc. is the largest predominantly African-American Christian denomination in the United States and is the world's second largest Baptist denomination...
which is a Convention of Churches from which the other National Baptist ConventionNational Baptist ConventionNational Baptist Convention may refer to:One of several historically African-American Christian denominations:*National Baptist Convention, USA, Inc., the oldest and largest denomination using this name, formed in the late 19th century...
s originate. - The main church or cathedral in the area, with the local churches being its "daughter" churches.
- The church where one was baptizedBaptismIn Christianity, baptism is for the majority the rite of admission , almost invariably with the use of water, into the Christian Church generally and also membership of a particular church tradition...
, in widely used expressions, such as "my mother church".
First mission church
It is used as a title of distinction for churches established originally as the first mission of a particular region. For example, the Cathedral of Our Lady of PeaceCathedral of Our Lady of Peace
The Cathedral of Our Lady of Peace — also known by its original French name Cathédrale de Notre Dame de la Paix, its Portuguese variant Catedral de Nossa Senhora da Paz and its Hawaiian derivative Malia o ka Malu Hale Pule Nui — is the Mother Church of the Diocese of Honolulu and houses...
in Honolulu, Hawai'i
Honolulu, Hawaii
Honolulu is the capital and the most populous city of the U.S. state of Hawaii. Honolulu is the southernmost major U.S. city. Although the name "Honolulu" refers to the urban area on the southeastern shore of the island of Oahu, the city and county government are consolidated as the City and...
was the site of the first French
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
Catholic
Catholicism
Catholicism is a broad term for the body of the Catholic faith, its theologies and doctrines, its liturgical, ethical, spiritual, and behavioral characteristics, as well as a religious people as a whole....
mission of the Congregation of the Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary
Congregation of the Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary
The Congregation of the Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary and of the Perpetual Adoration of the Most Holy Sacrament of the Altar is a Roman Catholic religious order of brothers, priests, and nuns...
, from which the modern Hawai'i Catholic Church
Roman Catholic Diocese of Honolulu
The Catholic Diocese of Honolulu, officially in Latin Dioecesis Honoluluensis, is an ecclesiastical territory or particular church of the Catholic Church in the United States...
was established. Under these circumstances it is today considered the mother church of all Hawai'i.
Basilicas and cathedrals
Mother church may also be a title of distinction based on the church's hierarchical importance. For example, among Roman Catholics the ecumenical mother church is the Lateran Basilica. Similarly, the church of the bishopBishop
A bishop is an ordained or consecrated member of the Christian clergy who is generally entrusted with a position of authority and oversight. Within the Catholic Church, Eastern Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox Churches, in the Assyrian Church of the East, in the Independent Catholic Churches, and in the...
of an episcopal see
Episcopal See
An episcopal see is, in the original sense, the official seat of a bishop. This seat, which is also referred to as the bishop's cathedra, is placed in the bishop's principal church, which is therefore called the bishop's cathedral...
is often considered the mother church of a diocese. Holy Name Cathedral
Holy Name Cathedral, Chicago
Holy Name Cathedral, formally the Cathedral of the Holy Name, is the seat of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Chicago, one of the largest Roman Catholic dioceses in the United States. It is also the parish church of the Archbishop of Chicago...
in Chicago, Illinois falls under this category. While it was not the first Roman Catholic cathedral of the city, it became the mother church due to the presence of the episcopal cathedra
Cathedra
A cathedra or bishop's throne is the chair or throne of a bishop. It is a symbol of the bishop's teaching authority in the Catholic Church and the Orthodox Church, and has in some sense remained such in the Anglican Communion and in Lutheran churches...
. This form of distinction based on hierarchical importance is usually used by the Roman Catholic Church
Roman Catholic Church
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the world's largest Christian church, with over a billion members. Led by the Pope, it defines its mission as spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ, administering the sacraments and exercising charity...
, and, sometimes, the churches of the Anglican Communion
Anglican Communion
The Anglican Communion is an international association of national and regional Anglican churches in full communion with the Church of England and specifically with its principal primate, the Archbishop of Canterbury...
, while most Protestant denominations tend to refrain from using the title in this manner. A notable exception is the First Church of Christ, Scientist
Church of Christ, Scientist
The Church of Christ, Scientist was founded in 1879 in Boston, Massachusetts, USA, by Mary Baker Eddy. She was the author of the book Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures. Christian Science teaches that the "allness" of God denies the reality of sin, sickness, death, and the material world...
in Boston
Boston
Boston is the capital of and largest city in Massachusetts, and is one of the oldest cities in the United States. The largest city in New England, Boston is regarded as the unofficial "Capital of New England" for its economic and cultural impact on the entire New England region. The city proper had...
, Massachusetts
Massachusetts
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. It is bordered by Rhode Island and Connecticut to the south, New York to the west, and Vermont and New Hampshire to the north; at its east lies the Atlantic Ocean. As of the 2010...
, which is commonly called the "Mother Church".
Chapel of a province
A third form relates to the churches of the various religious orderReligious order
A religious order is a lineage of communities and organizations of people who live in some way set apart from society in accordance with their specific religious devotion, usually characterized by the principles of its founder's religious practice. The order is composed of initiates and, in some...
s, royal orders or civic orders. For example, Madonna Della Strada Chapel
Madonna Della Strada
Madonna Della Strada or Santa Maria Della Strada — the Italian for Our Lady of the Way, or Our Lady of the Road — is the name of a late 15th or 16th century image of the Blessed Virgin Mary, enshrined at the Church of the Gesu in Rome, motherchurch of the Society of Jesus religious...
is the mother church of the Province of Chicago of the Society of Jesus
Society of Jesus
The Society of Jesus is a Catholic male religious order that follows the teachings of the Catholic Church. The members are called Jesuits, and are also known colloquially as "God's Army" and as "The Company," these being references to founder Ignatius of Loyola's military background and a...
. It is the principal church of the Jesuits in its particular province which includes Illinois
Illinois
Illinois is the fifth-most populous state of the United States of America, and is often noted for being a microcosm of the entire country. With Chicago in the northeast, small industrial cities and great agricultural productivity in central and northern Illinois, and natural resources like coal,...
, Indiana
Indiana
Indiana is a US state, admitted to the United States as the 19th on December 11, 1816. It is located in the Midwestern United States and Great Lakes Region. With 6,483,802 residents, the state is ranked 15th in population and 16th in population density. Indiana is ranked 38th in land area and is...
, Kentucky
Kentucky
The Commonwealth of Kentucky is a state located in the East Central United States of America. As classified by the United States Census Bureau, Kentucky is a Southern state, more specifically in the East South Central region. Kentucky is one of four U.S. states constituted as a commonwealth...
and Ohio
Ohio
Ohio is a Midwestern state in the United States. The 34th largest state by area in the U.S.,it is the 7th‑most populous with over 11.5 million residents, containing several major American cities and seven metropolitan areas with populations of 500,000 or more.The state's capital is Columbus...
. On a broader scale, the Chiesa del Gesu
Church of the Gesu
The Church of the Gesù is the mother church of the Society of Jesus, a Roman Catholic religious order also known as the Jesuits. Officially named , its facade is "the first truly baroque façade", introducing the baroque style into architecture ,. The church served as model for innumerable Jesuit...
in Rome
Rome
Rome is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated city and comune, with over 2.7 million residents in . The city is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula, on the Tiber River within the Lazio region of Italy.Rome's history spans two and a half...
is the mother church of all Jesuits throughout the world as it is the church of the order's Superior General.
Plantation churches
A fourth form is mainly used in Protestant churches. A mother church is a local church from which other local churches were planted. These churches are known as daughter churches.Historically significant churches
The oldest churches of various religious communities are often considered the mother churches to others that follow either in that same tradition or, alternatively, in a reformist tradition. A church's hierarchical importance is often derived from its historical importance in its organization. In addition, in communities where churches may change their ecclesiastical association or become independent (particularly in Pentecostal, charismatic, nondenominational, and independent churchIndependent church
Independent church may refer to:* National church, especially in Anglicanism and Orthodox Christianity, the organisation of that denomination within a given nation, which acts independently of the churches of the same denomination in other nations....
es in America), a mother church may have daughter churches in one or more organizations.
The mother church of the African Methodist Episcopal Church
Mother Bethel A.M.E. ChurchMother Bethel A.M.E. Church
The Mother Bethel African Methodist Episcopal Church was founded in 1794 by Richard Allen, an African-American Methodist minister. The church has been located at the corner of Sixth and Lombard Streets in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, since that time, making it the oldest church property continuously...
in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Philadelphia is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the county seat of Philadelphia County, with which it is coterminous. The city is located in the Northeastern United States along the Delaware and Schuylkill rivers. It is the fifth-most-populous city in the United States,...
founded in 1794 is the "mother church" of the African Methodist Episcopal Church
African Methodist Episcopal Church
The African Methodist Episcopal Church, usually called the A.M.E. Church, is a predominantly African American Methodist denomination based in the United States. It was founded by the Rev. Richard Allen in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, in 1816 from several black Methodist congregations in the...
.
The Mother Church in Christian Science
The Mother Church in Christian ScienceChristian Science
Christian Science is a system of thought and practice derived from the writings of Mary Baker Eddy and the Bible. It is practiced by members of The First Church of Christ, Scientist as well as some others who are nonmembers. Its central texts are the Bible and the Christian Science textbook,...
is The First Church of Christ, Scientist (Boston, Massachusetts), the Church of Christ Scientist of which all others are branches. Per the Manual of The Mother Church
Manual of The Mother Church
The Manual of The Mother Church by Mary Baker Eddy is the governing document, or in effect constitution, of the Christian Science Church.The "Church Manual" or "Manual" went through 88 revisions during Eddy's lifetime. The 89th edition incorporates revisions said to be in process prior to Eddy's...
, the legal title of the Mother Church is "The First Church of Christ, Scientist," and while its branch church may call themselves, First Church of Christ, Scientist, or Second Church of Christ, Scientist, etc., they are prohibited from using "The" in front of their names. Only The Mother Church can do so.
The Mother Church of the COOLJC
Greater Refuge Temple Church in New York CityNew York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
is the mother church of the Church of Our Lord Jesus Christ of the Apostolic Faith
Church of Our Lord Jesus Christ of the Apostolic Faith
The Church of Our Lord Jesus Christ of the Apostolic Faith is a Oneness Pentecostal church organized in 1919.The Church of Our Lord Jesus Christ, as it is most commonly known, was organized by Robert C. Lawson. Lawson, a protégé of G.T...
, an Apostolic Pentecostal denomination. As such, it is also ultimately the mother church of its various off-shoot churches and organizations, including both Bible Way organizations and the Church of the Lord Jesus Christ
Church of the Lord Jesus Christ
The Church of the Lord Jesus Christ of the Apostolic Faith is a Christian based church organization with its headquarters located in Philadelphia, PA....
and its daughter churches. In addition, churches that were independently founded by ministers who were ordained or directly influenced by the church's founder, Robert C. Lawson, or his spiritual successor, William L. Bonner, may also look to Greater Refuge Temple as their mother church, including the Progressive Church of Our Lord Jesus Christ, the Evangelistic Church of Christ, and many others.
The Roman Catholic Church
The Roman Catholic Church is thought by some to be the mother church of the Protestant and other churches that broke away from it over time. Prominent among these are Lutheran, ReformedReformed churches
The Reformed churches are a group of Protestant denominations characterized by Calvinist doctrines. They are descended from the Swiss Reformation inaugurated by Huldrych Zwingli but developed more coherently by Martin Bucer, Heinrich Bullinger and especially John Calvin...
, Anglican churches and other Christian faith communities formed over time from these.
The Church Universal
Additionally, among CatholicCatholic
The word catholic comes from the Greek phrase , meaning "on the whole," "according to the whole" or "in general", and is a combination of the Greek words meaning "about" and meaning "whole"...
s, Eastern Orthodox Christians, Anglicans and many other Christian denominations, Mother Church, or Holy Mother Church, is believed to refer to the Universal Church
Christian Church
The Christian Church is the assembly or association of followers of Jesus Christ. The Greek term ἐκκλησία that in its appearances in the New Testament is usually translated as "church" basically means "assembly"...
or Church Universal, which is considered to be the Bride of Christ and the Mother of all the Christian faithful regardless of manmade divisions or denominations.
The Mother Church of the National Baptist Conventions
The National Baptist Convention, USA, Inc.National Baptist Convention, USA, Inc.
The National Baptist Convention, USA, Inc. is the largest predominantly African-American Christian denomination in the United States and is the world's second largest Baptist denomination...
is often referred to as the 'Mother Church' among African-American Baptists. This Convention is the oldest and largest of the Conventions and all other National Baptists trace origin to her. Not only do all National Baptists trace origination from the NBCUSA but several large Pentecostal Organizations do as well.