Why Being Non-Denominational Is Not Good Enough

In the past, more emphasis was placed upon one’s denominational affiliation. But for many today, this is less important. This shift in mindset has given rise to the number of “non-denominational” churches we see in the religious world.

For years, faithful brethren have rightly condemned denominationalism. So is the trend toward non-denominationalism a good thing? Maybe not. Why not? Simply being non-denominational is not good enough.

The church in Sardis was a dead church, though they had a reputation that they were alive. Jesus said to them, “I know your deeds, that you have a name that you are alive, but you are dead” (Revelation 3:1). This shows us that a church can seem to be good in the eyes of men, but in the eyes of the Lord, their status is completely different. In the eyes of many, “non-denominational” churches look appealing. But like the church in Sardis, many of these churches simply do not measure up to the Lord’s standard.

Reminder: Why Is Denominationalism Wrong?

Before considering the issue of “non-denominationalism,” let us briefly be reminded about why denominationalism is wrong.

Jesus told His disciples, “Upon this rock I will build My church” (Matthew 16:18). He promised to build one church, not many. Paul wrote, “And He put all things in subjection under His feet, and gave Him as head over all things to the church, which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills all in all” (Ephesians 1:22-23). A head only has one body. Using Paul’s illustration, we can easily see that Christ only has one church.

Besides the fact that Jesus only built one church, consider a few other reasons why denominationalism is wrong:

• Denominationalism purports to divide the body of Christ – Rather than “being diligent to preserve the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace” by being part of the “one body” (Ephesians 4:3-4), denominationalism seeks to divide believers by encouraging them to follow leaders other than Christ. Such division is condemned. Paul told the brethren in Corinth that there should be “no divisions” among them; yet they were divided in their allegiance to certain men (1 Corinthians 1:10-13). This is one of the foundations of denominationalism – elevating man over Christ. [Note: Denominationalism does not actually divide the body of Christ as much as it keeps people out of it. More on this in a moment.]
• Denominationalism proclaims a different gospel – Paul explained to the Galatians that a changed gospel was a different gospel because it led people to desert Christ (Galatians 1:6-7). Denominationalism must, of necessity, proclaim a different gospel since denominations are neither mentioned nor authorized in the New Testament. Paul made it very clear that preaching a different (changed) gospel was condemned: “But even if we, or an angel from heaven, should preach to you a gospel contrary to what we have preached to you, he is to be accursed! As we have said before, so I say again now, if any man is preaching to you a gospel contrary to what you received, he is to be accursed!” (Galatians 1:8-9).
• Denominationalism keeps people from being saved – Salvation is only in the body of Christ (Ephesians 5:23; cf. Acts 4:12). We are “baptized into [this] one body” (1 Corinthians 12:13). When the church was established on the day of Pentecost, many obeyed the gospel by being baptized into Christ. “So then, those who had received his word were baptized; and that day there were added about three thousand souls” (Acts 2:41). They were baptized in order to receive forgiveness (Acts 2:38), then the Lord added them to the church (Acts 2:47). Denominationalism does not teach this about baptism (though they may practice a different baptism). Therefore, denominationalism keeps people from being saved.

These are just a few of the errors of denominationalism. Many people can see that the way of denominationalism is not right. Those who understand the errors of denominationalism will naturally look for a church that is “non-denominational.”

Local Churches Are to Be Non-Denominational

Local churches that follow the pattern found in the New Testament will naturally be non-denominational (not part of any denomination). Non-denominational churches of man will share these characteristics as well. Though as we will see, this alone does not mean that the typical “community church” is right. But first, notice the non-denominational characteristics that a local church must have:

• Autonomous – To be autonomous means that a church is self-governing. Peter wrote to elders and told them to “shepherd the flock of God among” them (1 Peter 5:1-2). Above the elders in terms of authority and headship was only Christ – “the Chief Shepherd” (1 Peter 5:4) – not any regional bishop, “pope,” or larger denominational body.
• Independent – Local churches are also to be independent in the sense that they are self-sufficient. In other words, the local church has been designed by God to carry out the work He gave it to do. This work includes being “the pillar and support of the truth” (1 Timothy 3:15) and “building up…itself in love” (Ephesians 4:16). Local churches are able to do this without having to rely upon other churches or human organizations.
• Unaffiliated – Congregations are unaffiliated in that they are not part of a confederacy of churches. In the first century, they were simply “churches of Christ” (Romans 16:16). These congregations were only “of Christ,” not part of any group, conference, synod, or council.

Non-Denominationalism Alone Is Not Enough

However, a church may be autonomous, independent, and unaffiliated, and still be wrong. There is a difference between non-denominational “churches of Christ” (Romans 16:16) and non-denominational churches of man. More than just being “non-denominational,” a church must:

• Do the work of the church – This includes the work of evangelism (1 Thessalonians 1:8), edification (Hebrews 10:24-25), and limited benevolence (Acts 4:32-35). Not only must a church be engaged in these works, but it must limit itself to what has been authorized in the way we are authorized to do it (cf. Colossians 3:17; Matthew 7:22-23).
• Engage in Scriptural worship – Jesus said, “God is spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth” (John 4:24). This means we will be content with the acts of worship that have been shown to us in the New Testament – singing (Ephesians 5:29), praying (Acts 4:31), teaching (1 Corinthians 14:26), taking of the Lord’s Supper (Acts 20:7), and giving (1 Corinthians 16:2).
• Be Scripturally organized – A Scripturally organized church is made up of overseers (elders), deacons, and saints (Philippians 1:1). Elders and deacons must meet certain qualifications (1 Timothy 3:1-13) and cannot be appointed before then. Therefore, if a congregation does not have a plurality of men (cf. Acts 14:23) qualified to serve as elders, their goal must be to grow and “set in order the things that are lacking” (Titus 1:5, NKJV).
• Teach the whole counsel of God – This was what Paul did in his preaching (Acts 20:27). Churches must not add to, take from, or change the message of the gospel (Galatians 1:6-9).
• Teach the plan of salvation – The religious world presents various ways to be saved. But the plan of salvation that the Lord gave involves belief (John 8:24), repentance (Luke 13:3, 5), confession (Romans 10:9-10), and baptism (Mark 16:16; 1 Peter 3:21).

Most “non-denominational” churches do not measure up to the standard found in the New Testament (cf. 2 Timothy 1:13).

Why “Non-Denominationalism” Is Dangerous

When I say that “non-denominationalism” is dangerous, I do not mean it in the sense of how faithful “churches of Christ” (Romans 16:16) are to be non-denominational. In reality, these churches are more anti-denominational because they are pre-denominational.

But “non-denominational” churches of men are dangerous for two reasons. First, they give people a false sense of security. The book of Amos dealt with this same attitude: “Woe to those who are at ease in Zion and to those who feel secure in the mountain of Samaria” (Amos 6:1). Though they felt “at ease” and “secure,” they would “go into exile at the head of the exiles” (Amos 6:7). Though they longed “for the day of the Lord,” that day would be a day of “darkness instead of light” for them because of their sin (Amos 5:18-20). The people were wrong and would be punished by God, but they thought they were right. Those who are in “non-denominational” churches of men “feel secure” and, therefore, see no need to change.

Second, “non-denominational” churches are dangerous because they lead people out of denominationalism without leading them into the body of Christ. As we noticed earlier, the body of Christ is the church of Christ (Ephesians 1:22-23) which is the body of all the saved (Ephesians 5:23). In order to get into the body, one must be baptized into Christ (1 Corinthians 12:13; cf. Romans 6:3-4; Galatians 3:27). Yet because “non-denominational” churches of men do not teach the plan of salvation, they do not lead people into the salvation that is found in Christ.

Conclusion

The Scriptures show us that denominationalism is wrong. But a church being “non-denominational” does not necessarily mean that it is right. We must be part of the Lord’s church – not a church of man (whether denominational or non-denominational). The Lord adds us to His church when we obey the gospel by being baptized into Christ (Acts 2:38, 41, 47).

This article is one of the fifty articles included in the book Plain Bible Teaching: The First Ten Years. Click on the link to read more about the book.