is being a part of a particular denomination important to you? Would you or do you go to churches of different denominations?
Why do you go to the denomination you go to?
I was raised in the Methodist church, but started attending a Baptist church when I was 18. I was invited by a friend and since I worked during the day on Sunday and they had a Sunday evening service at the Baptist church I started going there. I felt like i was growing there in maturity as a believer, so I decided to join.
Denominational membership is
OPTIONAL.
It is permitted for individual Christians to be autonomous, independent, and to stay away from other Christians and not cooperate or help them in ministry - to be a loner - and not be a part of a congregation of Christians I think the Bible discourages this but doens't forbid it. MY opinion is that it's dangerous to our spiritual health and our ministry, I think it's stupid, but I would not tell the perhaps HALF of Christians in the world that their not being an active part of a congregation is sinning and that it is MANDATED we join and participate in a local church.
It is permitted for individual congregations to be autonomous, independent, and to stay away from other congregations/parishes/churches and not cooperate or help them in ministry - to be a loner - and not be a part of a Christian denomination of churches. The Bible says nothing about denominations, but it does show churches cooperating at least in very limited ways. MY opinion is that non-denom congregations/parishes are a bad idea, but I would never tell the millions of non-denom churches around the world that they are invalid or sinful (just not wise).
Individual Christians join together in congregations for the same reason as individual congregations join together in denominations - Christian is to congregation as congregation is to denomination. This joining - bonding - associating is done for the sake of mutual support, edification, cooperation and accountability. Those individual Christians and parishes who INSIST on being loners, who INSIST congregations and denominations are bad and every individual person and church MUST be a loner, ignoring all others, are IMO pursuing a wrong path BUT I would not condemn them as sinning - just being foolish.
Now, MOST denominations (like MOST congregations) have an official statement of faith (Creed) - a clear written statement of what they teach and confess. Not all hold to it much (UMC, Episcopal Church in the USA, for example), others quite strongly, but most at least HAVE some formal statement. IMO,
this is the MOST IMPORTANT reason for a congregation to be or not be a part of a denomination. Theology matters. Doctrine matters.
Truth matters. Just as I would reject joining a congregation because the pastor is handsome and we like the refreshments (but don't agree with its teachings - or even know what they are) so I would reject a congregation being a part of a denomination simply because they like the heritage or colleges or the cool Sunday School stuff.
I left a denomination for one reason: I could not declare by docilic submission to a FEW unique, new dogmas of that denomination as I was required to do; it had 100% to do with DOCTRINE of the denomination. I joined a congregation of a different denomination for one reason: The DOCTRINE of that denomination.
My half cent.
- Josiah
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