I find it curious that the Disciples were eventually categorized as Mainline. I feel like you would have to literally just use a "Mainline = theologically liberal" definition (which I find problematic) to categorize them that way. I know their church theology has changed a lot over the years, but I have a hard time counting a "Restorationist" group as "Mainline Protestant" on principle, haha.
I feel like traditional Protestantism (which "Mainline" originally attempted to describe) largely rejects the restorationist idea that "true Christianity" was lost for centuries and centuries and only these new Nineteenth Century preachers can properly show us how to worship.
Yes, this is a good point. I think you really need a pre-Revolutionary War connection to be considered Mainline, ideally a connection to the Reformation itself. Methodism is even debatable, because it was originally a reform movement within the Anglicans, but ended up having a decidedly low church, rural America streak by the mid 19th century.
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