Is the Church of Christ a Denomination?
Ask any member and they will very quickly insist that they are NOT a denomination. In fact, they will often take offense to this question.
According to an Australian Church of Christ author Ian McPherson from their website:
My answer would be it depends on whether you believe God is sovereign or not. If God is sovereign then this would mean He has at least permitted everything there is. This would include Church denominations as well. I do sympathize and do understand where the author is coming from however, for it seems that being separated by denominational differences often hinders us. Wouldn't it be nice if we could all be one? I have seen disputes between various denominations in one way or another, and I've also admired the attempts to see Churches come together.
However for one specific denomination to step in and claim to be the ONLY church is not only arrogant, but it is a formula for becoming a cult. The problem I see with the ICC is that they lay claim to being the ONLY Church there is and while some of the more liberal ICC Churches make attempts to fellowship with other denominations, the majority of them do not.
I was once involved with an outreach consisting of several areas Churches coming together with ours included. We rented out the local Junior High School, had a couple of top name Christian Singers, a BMX Stunt Bike Team, Skateboarders (one of which was very well known), and evangelists. Everyone of them Christian and each of them united in one purpose - that was to reach the lost.
In the planning of this event everything was going good until the Church of Christ made a request. Their request was that during the counseling following the event up, each person they spoke to they would gather together into a separate room to lead them to Christ. They would then baptize these young people there on location instead of doing so later at the Church like the other Churches intended to do. Of course they believed that only the people they were getting were actually getting saved for they were baptizing them for the remission of their sins in a doctrinal practice that they called "Baptismal Regeneration." To them every other Church there was not saved, nor were the people that they were leading to Christ, but only those who were being baptized into their belief, The International Church of Christ.
Ask any member and they will very quickly insist that they are NOT a denomination. In fact, they will often take offense to this question.
According to an Australian Church of Christ author Ian McPherson from their website:
"The church of Christ came into existence long before any denomination was even thought of. It is 100 percent of Divine origin and design. Ephesians 3:9-11 --- “And to make all men see what is the fellowship of the mystery, which from the beginning of the world hath been hid in God, who created all things by Jesus Christ: To the intent that now unto the principalities and powers in heavenly places might be known by the church the manifold wisdom of God, According to the eternal purpose which he purposed in Christ Jesus our Lord:” Could anyone successfully claim that the modern monstrosity known as “denominationalism” is a product of the omnipotent Mind of God?"I can understand how it would be better if the Church were all of one mind and in one accord, and having no denominational walls. The author above asks a good question, "Could anyone successfully claim that the modern monstrosity known as “denominationalism” is a product of the omnipotent Mind of God?"
My answer would be it depends on whether you believe God is sovereign or not. If God is sovereign then this would mean He has at least permitted everything there is. This would include Church denominations as well. I do sympathize and do understand where the author is coming from however, for it seems that being separated by denominational differences often hinders us. Wouldn't it be nice if we could all be one? I have seen disputes between various denominations in one way or another, and I've also admired the attempts to see Churches come together.
However for one specific denomination to step in and claim to be the ONLY church is not only arrogant, but it is a formula for becoming a cult. The problem I see with the ICC is that they lay claim to being the ONLY Church there is and while some of the more liberal ICC Churches make attempts to fellowship with other denominations, the majority of them do not.
I was once involved with an outreach consisting of several areas Churches coming together with ours included. We rented out the local Junior High School, had a couple of top name Christian Singers, a BMX Stunt Bike Team, Skateboarders (one of which was very well known), and evangelists. Everyone of them Christian and each of them united in one purpose - that was to reach the lost.
In the planning of this event everything was going good until the Church of Christ made a request. Their request was that during the counseling following the event up, each person they spoke to they would gather together into a separate room to lead them to Christ. They would then baptize these young people there on location instead of doing so later at the Church like the other Churches intended to do. Of course they believed that only the people they were getting were actually getting saved for they were baptizing them for the remission of their sins in a doctrinal practice that they called "Baptismal Regeneration." To them every other Church there was not saved, nor were the people that they were leading to Christ, but only those who were being baptized into their belief, The International Church of Christ.
Go to Part 3
