Social Studies: One Faith, 1,500 Denominations: The Strange Story of American Christianity
📅 Date: August 20
⏰ Time: 6:30 PM – 8:30 PM
📍 Location: The Baylor Club, 4th Floor
📚 Lecture: One Faith, 1,500 Denominations: The Strange Story of American Christianity
🎤 Speaker: Dr. Gordon Melton
If you've ever driven through Waco and wondered why there are so many churches, or why there seem to be endless versions of Christianity, you're not alone.
How did one faith become more than 1,500 denominations in America? Why did some churches split while others exploded in growth? And what do those divisions reveal about American history, culture, and the people we've become?
Dr. Gordon Melton has spent decades studying the history of religion and is one of the world's leading experts on American Christianity. In this fascinating, story-driven lecture, he'll trace the unexpected twists, larger-than-life personalities, and pivotal moments that transformed a single tradition into the remarkably diverse religious landscape we know today.
You'll hear the stories behind Baptists, Methodists, Pentecostals, restoration movements, megachurches, and countless other traditions, while gaining a deeper understanding of how faith and American culture have shaped one another over the past 250 years.
Whether you're deeply religious, completely secular, or simply an American history buff, this is an evening that will leave you seeing America's spiritual landscape in an entirely new way.
Agenda
6:15 PM – Doors open. Grab a seat and a drink, meet others who are attending.
6:55 PM – Host welcome
7:00 PM – Lecture begins
7:45 PM – Audience Q&A
8:00 PM – Meet Dr. Melton, continue the conversation, and enjoy another round.
8:30 PM – Wrap up
Planning to have dinner beforehand? The Baylor Club restaurant opens for dinner reservations beginning at 5:00 PM. Reservations must be made by phone in advance by calling (254) 710-8080.
Please note that the lecture will be held on the 4th floor, where drinks will be available for purchase throughout the evening.
If the event is canceled entirely, all tickets will be refunded.
Come for the history, stay for the conversation. Grab a drink, meet interesting people, and learn something you'll be talking about long after the night ends at Social Studies with The Waco Buzz. 🙌