Non-denominational Christianity
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In Christianity, the term non-denominational refers to those churches which have not formally aligned themselves with an established denomination. Non-denominational churches establish their own internal means and methods of policy and worship without interference from the policies and worship practices of regional, national, or multinational organizations. Members of non-denominational churches often consider themselves simply "Christians", and many feel at home when visiting any number of other denominational churches with compatible beliefs.
On the other hand, some non-denominational churches consciously reject the idea of a denominational structure as a matter of doctrine, insisting that each congregation must be autonomous, sometimes pointing out that in early Christianity, there were no denominations. In support of this stance, 1 Corinthians 1:10-13 is often cited. It reads:
- Now I mean this, that each one of you is saying, "I am of Paul," and "I of Apollos," and "I of Peter," and "I of Christ." Has Christ been divided? Paul was not crucified for you, was he? Or were you baptized in the name of Paul?
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History
Non-denominational Christian churches are almost exclusively derived from the Protestant movement, as a fundamental part of Catholicism is unity.
The first non-denominational church in the United States was Kenilworth Union Church, Kenilworth, IllinoisTemplate:Citeneeded.
In the United States, the number of evangelical non-denominational churches (often included in the category of American Protestantism) has increased exponentially since the late 1950s. Many historians of American religion cite after-effects of the Scopes Trial and baby boomers, as well as the higher standard of living available in the United States, and the movement away from authority in American culture due to Watergate and other scandals.
According to research by Barna Research and others there is an increase in the number of Christians who do not align themselves with any denomination. Many of these attend city or regional "super" or "mega" churches of congregations of 1500+ attendees.
Other reasons of growth may include an increase want to focus on Jesus. Some people feel that belonging to a Christian denomination can pull focus off Christ and onto certain principles of the particlular denomination which are not Christ. So growth may be caused by Christians (which literally means "belonging to Christ") who want to focus on Christ Jesus who they believe they belong to instead of denomination principles.
Common traits and tenets
While all non-denominational churches will differ to some degree, there are a number of aspects that are common to almost all of them.
Because they do not look to any human organization for doctrine, non-denominational churches generally claim the basic tenet of sola scriptura, that the bible alone is the source of doctrinal authority. From this, a number of similar doctrinal points can be found across most non-denominational churches, such as those found in the Nicene Creed and the Apostles' Creed. Individual churches differ in terms of how literally they interpret various texts of the bible.
Since most Christian non-denominational churches stemmed from the Protestant movement, almost all of them hold to the five solas, which are solus Christus, sola scriptura, sola fide, sola gratia, and Soli deo gloria (to God alone the glory).
Because the five solas are the main tenets of the Protestant faith, many term non-denominational churches as Protestant churches. However, some non-denominational groups reject this term for etymological reasons, stating that they are not protesting anything.
Many non-denominational churches can also be considered evangelical, especially when it comes to how one may be saved. Often (though certainly not always), non-denominational churches are loosely Baptist in doctrine and often borrow from charismatic, Pentecostal, or fundamentalist ideas and practices as well.
Outside of doctrinal areas, non-denominational churches are generally more accepting of people from various religious backgrounds and political views. Services are occasionally modeled after those of another denomination, but are also usually tailored to the preferences of the congregation, and can change drastically even from week to week.
Example churches
The following groups of churches label themselves as non-denominational (although non-denominational churches do not necessarily relate to any of these):
- Independent Christian Churches - Associated with the Restoration Movement
- Open Bible Standard Churches - Pentecostal
- The Church of Christ - known for its opposition of using musical instruments in church service
- Newfrontiers - Charismatic, of U.K. origin
- Sovereign Grace Ministries - identified itself as "Reformed Charismatic"
- Vineyard Movement - Charismatic
While in general, these groups will not have formal legal ties between individual congregations, they often declare themselves to be "families of churches" and describe their connection to each other as being based purely on relationships.
Although the above church groups consider themselves non-denominational, outsiders often describe them as denominations in and of themselves due to their close associations, equivalent doctrine, similar worship practices, and the ease of using one name to cover a larger group of churches.
Advantages of the Non-denominational Church
Some claim to keep Jesus the focus better than denominational churches because they do not have denomination principles to which they must prescribe, only Jesus and the Bible which they believe to be his Word. Other claimed benefits of a Christian church being non-denominational could include the ability to more strictly follow what they see as being the correct biblical viewpoint, without having to align with a larger organization. But in general, individual non-denominational churches tend to define only fundamental Christian Doctrine and accept those who may have differing opinions on such things as eschatology and other non-essential Christian beliefs. In a non-denominational church, a Calvinist may be comfortable sitting beside an Arminianist. A Dispensationalist and one who holds to Covenant Theology may both be comfortable in a service geared not to make either feel rejected. This opens the church door a little wider and membership tends to grow faster than denominational churches. Most non-denominational churches are careful to be tolerant of differing theological veiwpoints, as long as they are not contrary to biblical teachings. An unofficial motto of non-denominational Christian Churches is "We are not the only Christians, but are Christians only." Additionally, individual non-denominational churches are more easily able to escape the fallout from a scandal that might break out in a large denomination.
Criticism
Criticisms of non-denominational churches range from criticizing the practices of the individual church in question, to criticizing the very concept of non-denominational churches in the first place.
A criticism of the first type might be that sometimes the pastor or teacher has no theological degree, and can become a leader of the church without any of the theological training that large denominations generally require. A well-known example is Joel Osteen, the charismatic pastor of Lakewood Church in Houston, Texas. While this issue does not apply to every non-denominational church, those it does apply to argue that maturity and knowledge are all that should be required for leadership, not completing a course in seminary. Some will argue it is possible to be as knowledgeable (or more) as a seminary student via private study alone because of the grace of Jesus Christ.
A common criticism of non-denominational churches in general is that they lack the additional "check and balance" of being accountable to a national/international body that would be able to steer them away from doctrinal pitfalls. In response, non-denominational churches claim that no organization of any size is capable of being perfect, and that a larger national or international body is as likely to keep a doctrinal flaw as to steer a smaller church away from one-- claiming that by remaining independent, each church can rapidly adjust to perceived flaws.
Smaller criticisms against the concept of non-denominationalism include the statement that there is no such thing as a truly "non-denominational church," as all churches adhere to a core set of beliefs even if those beliefs are not as formalized as a named denomination. Such critics claim that those core beliefs form a denomination, even if the denomination's adherents consist of only a single church. Other critics feels that with regards to strongly fundamentalist and/or evangelical churches, the label "non-denominational" is given for the purpose of being generically "Christian," with the connotation that no "true Christian" has any business disagreeing with its teachings.