Church of Christ, Scientist

Church of Christ, Scientist
The First Church of Christ, Scientist in Boston, the church's administrative headquarters
Classification	Christian new religious movement
Orientation	Nontrinitarianism
Scripture	Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures and Bible
Region	United States
Founder	Mary Baker Eddy
Origin	1879; 145 years ago (1879) Boston, Massachusetts, U.S.
Congregations	approximately 1750[1] worldwide (900 in the U.S.)
Members	estimates range from around 400,000 to under 100,000.

The Church of Christ, Scientist was founded in 1879 in Boston, Massachusetts, by Mary Baker Eddy, author of Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures, and founder of Christian Science. The church was founded "to commemorate the word and works of Christ Jesus" and "reinstate primitive Christianity and its lost element of healing".

In the early decades of the 20th century, Christian Science churches were founded in communities around the world, though in the last several decades of that century, there was a marked decline in membership, except in Africa, where there has been growth. Headquartered in Boston, the church does not officially report membership, and estimates as to worldwide membership range from under 100,000 to about 400,000.^[2]