Parachurch organizations are
Christian
Christians () are people who follow or adhere to Christianity, a monotheistic Abrahamic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus Christ. The words '' Christ'' and ''Christian'' derive from the Koine Greek title ''Christós'' (Χρ ...
faith-based organizations that work outside and across
denominations to engage in
social welfare and
evangelism. Parachurch organizations seek to come alongside the church and specialize in things that individual churches may not be able to specialize in by themselves. They often cross denominational and national boundaries providing specialized services and training.
Definition
These bodies can be
businesses,
non-profit
A nonprofit organization (NPO) or non-profit organisation, also known as a non-business entity, not-for-profit organization, or nonprofit institution, is a legal entity organized and operated for a collective, public or social benefit, in co ...
corporations, or private
associations. Most parachurch organizations, at least those normally called ''parachurch'', are
Protestant
Protestantism is a Christian denomination, branch of Christianity that follows the theological tenets of the Reformation, Protestant Reformation, a movement that began seeking to reform the Catholic Church from within in the 16th century agai ...
or
Evangelical
Evangelicalism (), also called evangelical Christianity or evangelical Protestantism, is a worldwide interdenominational movement within Protestant Christianity that affirms the centrality of being " born again", in which an individual exp ...
. Some of these organizations cater to a defined spectrum among evangelical beliefs, but most are self-consciously
interdenominational
Interdenominationalism is an evangelical Protestant movement of cooperation among various Christian denominations.
History
The movement has its origins in the founding of the London Missionary Society, a missionary society, in 1795 by variou ...
and many are
ecumenical
Ecumenism (), also spelled oecumenism, is the concept and principle that Christians
Christians () are people who follow or adhere to Christianity, a monotheistic Abrahamic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus Christ. The wo ...
.
In Protestant and Catholic theology parachurch organizations are termed