fringe church

English

Etymology

fringe + church; 1940s

Noun

fringe church (plural fringe churches)

1. a Christian denomination practicing doctrines or worship customs rejected by the majority of Christians

   Millions of people attend fringe church affiliated worship services each day.

   • 2003, J. Michael Feazell, The Liberation of the Worldwide Church of God, The Liberation of the Worldwide Church of God, page 2:

     Never before in the history of Christianity has there been such a complete move to orthodox Christianity by an unorthodox fringe church.

   • 2021, VICE Asia, Why It's So Hard to Leave a South Korean Fringe Church:

     Experts estimate there are 2 million South Koreans who are followers of fringe churches, but the exact figures are unknown. Shincheonji has allegedly become one of the most dominant fringe christian groups in recent years.

2. a place of worship affiliated with this type of religious denomination

   Congregants drove to attend services at a fringe church on Sunday morning.

   • 2017, John Tucker, Text Messages: Preaching God's Word in a Smartphone World, Wipf & Stock Publishers, page 149:

     Ponsonby Baptist is a small-city fringe church, with sixty to seventy people in attendance each Sunday.