Someone posted on a local social media billboard that they had recently moved and were looking for a new non-denominational church. A flurry of responses came almost immediately from a variety of area Christian communities. Some offered endorsements about their pastors, programs, music, or camaraderie. One poster encouraged the seeker to find “the most biblical and sound church within driving distance.” All great selling points when competing for business.
One responder commented, “No denomination IS a denomination.” In a sense, he is correct. To denominate is to give something a name. To label a church non-denominational is essentially giving it a name. Merriam-Webster defines a denomination as a religious organization whose congregations are united in their adherence to its beliefs and practices. Therefore if a church is non-denominational, it is not united to any other church’s beliefs and practices.
While most Christian non-denominational communities have some common beliefs and practices, beyond them lies open season depending on who is in charge. In a non-denominational setting, that may be the pastor or a board of directors. Effectively, they are the pope and magisterial authorities of their own church. I would like to ask the respondent who suggested looking for the most biblical and sound church how to make that determination. How does one decide whether the beliefs and practices of a certain religious community are sound and biblical? By whose standards do we compare? People choosing a faith community in this manner want a church that conforms to what they believe or what they want to believe. If not, they can simply choose another church or start their own.
Belonging to a non-denominational church means not being accountable to a higher earthly authority. The problem is that Jesus left us an earthly authority to guide us in matters of faith and morals. Even more importantly, He instituted a ministerial priesthood to offer sacrifice and forgive sins. In a non-denominational community, or any Bible-only institution, these essential provisions for God’s plan of Salvation are lacking.
We Catholics sometimes take the sacraments for granted, not realizing how fortunate we are to have them available. They are hygiene and refreshment for the soul. Living without them would be like living without soap and water. To the person seeking a non-denominational church, consider that the Catholic Church is not a denomination as you might define it. The Catholic Church is THE Church that Jesus Christ established. It is the only Church you should be seeking.
