Editorial

Editorial principles

Governing edition: Vol. I, Spring 2026.

A directory is an exercise in judgment. These are the judgments we hold to, in the order they matter.

1. We catalog, we do not rank

Every Christian congregation that gathers weekly or more often for public worship, at a physical location open to visitors, belongs in this directory. We do not score parishes, compare them, or publish "top" lists. Reviewers have other sites for that work.

2. Our canonical source is public

Each parish entry is built from publicly available material: Google Business Profile, the parish's own website, Wikipedia, Wikimedia Commons, OpenStreetMap, the US National Register of Historic Places, and the US Census Bureau. We cite each source on the parish page.

3. We do not accept payment for listing

We do not sell placements. We do not charge parishes to appear. We do not accept sponsored posts, gifts in kind, or affiliate commissions from any denomination, publisher, or software vendor.

4. Parishes may claim their listing

A parish representative may submit a claim to augment an entry with their own schedule, staff directory, photos, and announcements. We verify identity through published contact channels before activating a claim.

5. Corrections are welcome and unhurried

If a detail is wrong, tell us. Minor factual corrections (hours, phone, service times) are applied within one business day. Larger changes — historical claims, denominational affiliation, closures — are reviewed by a second editor before publication.

6. Denominational neutrality

Our editors hold a range of Christian affiliations and none is privileged. When a denomination's self-description differs from the received scholarly or ecumenical term, we use the self-description on the tradition page and note the alternative. We do not arbitrate doctrinal disputes.

7. Parishes that close remain

When a parish closes permanently, we keep the entry — marked "Permanently closed" — so readers searching an old bulletin or book can still find it. Historical pages serve the record.

8. Corrections of record

Any material correction to a published claim is noted at the bottom of the relevant page, with date and brief description. We do not silently edit history.

9. The masthead is public

The editors responsible for this directory are listed on the masthead. Questions of editorial judgment can be addressed to them by name.