Thoughts on Non-denominationalism

Some Thoughts about Denominations and Non-denominationalism.
I find it funny that Calvary Chapelites think they are not a denomination, and are adamant about not being a denomination, as if denominations were in and of themselves bad. They are a silly bunch, but then so is the whole non-denominational movement. But not since the advent of the “Church of Christ” coming out of the original non-denominational movement, has America seen such a hypocritical bunch concerning denominations. By all rights both of these church bodies are denominations, and for the most part most “non-denominational” churches share such a similar identity and confession as to make their claim to not be denominations quite silly. At their heart, like the Campbellites that started this silly mess, they are all Baptists anyway.
In any case, they believe denominations are bad, and yet have by default started their own. They believe denominations are bad most often because they think that if you are in a denomination you must be following the teachings of men and not just the Bible. Somehow they think that by joining a “non-denominational” church they are avoiding the teachings of men. Now that is just silly. They do not avoid the teachings of men, because men are teaching them, they are just not being honest about it. They say they get their doctrine from the Bible. Well until the advent of the modern mainline liberal denominations, all denominations thought they got their doctrine straight from the Bible, and most of the lay members of the liberal denominations still think their doctrine is Biblical. Non-denominational congregations do not have a monopoly on false claims to teaching just the Bible.
Presbyterians whole heartedly believe that their doctrine is Biblical. Perhaps that is no longer the case with the PCUSA, but then they aren’t the only Presbyterians in town. Baptists are under the same false delusions as the Presbyterians for the most part, except to a greater degree. Lutherans who are actually Lutherans not only claim to be “Scripture alone” Christians, but are, they don’t quibble with the words of Christ concerning the ability of infants to believe, or deny Christ’s divinity by claiming it is impossible for his Body and Blood to be present in the Lord’s Supper. Methodists, at least old time Methodists that followed John Wesley in his “Biblical” teaching, also claim the Bible. Wesley would be shocked for what passes as Methodism today. There aren’t too many denominations out there that will be brazen enough to say they “follow the teachings of men” and not the Bible. Most want to at least give some Biblical warrant for what they teach.
Denominations grow out of common confessions of faith, a common understanding of doctrine. Doctrine is unavoidable when it comes to Christianity. You cannot have a doctrine less Christianity. Calvary Chapel has a doctrine, in fact the doctrinal unity that is shared from congregation to congregation in the Calvary Chapel and Church of Christ (now calling themselves “the undenomination”) denominations is the envy of many. I could care less for their vacuous doctrine, which I think could be cured with a literacy campaign, but the unity they have is quite admirable. It is such unity that the LCMS, my cherished denomination, once had, and seems to have lost somewhere. It was that unity that brought us together to form a denomination.
Denominations are attempts to do two things commanded in the Bible, and a few practical things that naturally draw Christians together to form denominations. The first is recorded most clearly in 1 Corinthians 1:10
I appeal to you, brothers, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be united in the same mind and the same judgment. 1 Cor. 1:10 (ESV)
The second is recorded best perhaps in Romans chapter 16
I appeal to you, brothers, to watch out for those who cause divisions and create obstacles contrary to the doctrine that you have been taught; avoid them. [18] For such persons do not serve our Lord Christ, but their own appetites, and by smooth talk and flattery they deceive the hearts of the naive. Romans 16:17-18 (ESV)
When people for better or worse find that they are in agreement doctrinally they come together, they also separate from those who do not believe the same as they do, especially when they think the others are teaching something that may be harmful to another person’s salvation. The New Testament is full of admonitions and warnings not to tolerate false doctrine. False doctrine is harmful, it is not inconsequential. This is apparent not only where salvation is concerned but also in this life. false doctrine can be very psychologically damaging, and emotionally destructive. The bars are full of ex Baptists, and members of other legalistic sects trying to drown the pain inflicted on them with false doctrine growing up. We do not brush aside our differences and proclaim unity where someone’s doctrine leads to that kind of spiritual abuse. False doctrine leads to false belief, leads to despair and finally other great shame and vice. False doctrine in short operates more as an inoculation against true Christian faith than it does anything else. Where people teach things contrary to Scripture and plain reason, they need to be marked and avoided.
One way to mark them is to give their confession a name, when the confession becomes a denomination they often adopt the name one way or another. So Wesley’s confession became known as Methodism by those who knew better than to listen to his unbiblical hubris. Later those who did follow his hubris called themselves Methodists and joined to form a denomination. Baptists were labeled as such and later self identified with that also. Lutherans have always called themselves evangelicals, but then in today’s world we hate to be associated with the American Evangelical movement that is anything but evangelical. So we go with a label that as once considered a pejorative, Lutheran. Calvinists have been better at finding other labels for themselves, rather than adopt the pejorative Calvinist, but I say the word reformed with the same disdain.
But then denominations are a natural outcome of a common confession of faith. Christians who are of the same mind and judgment will naturally come together to solidify with one another and evangelize. We realize that we are the body of Christ, and that no one is a Christian by themselves, and neither should individual congregations be islands to themselves, but that they should pool together resources, and work together to advance the cause of the kingdom here on earth. Thus a denomination is born. The congregations who believe the same set up seminaries to train pastors and missionaries, to put together a publishing house to print books advancing the cause of the kingdom, etc. And what is evil about Christians doing that?
Non-denominationalists are consumed with a lie. They believe that doctrine divides. Well in a way it has to do that, but it also unifies. As Paul says:
For, in the first place, when you come together as a church, I hear that there are divisions among you. And I believe it in part, [19] for there must be factions among you in order that those who are genuine among you may be recognized. ( 1 Cor. 11:18-19 (ESV)
It would be nice that all who call themselves Christian could be unified in what it means to be Christian. But the answer to that is not to separate yourself from the denominations and start your own, or play with a pretense that you haven’t. That is just dishonest. The better thing to do would be to investigate what the other denominations teach and why, comparing them to each other and the bible to arrive at which one does teach what the Bible teaches and nothing more and nothing less. But you aren’t unifying anything by calling yourself non-denominational, any more that Joseph Smith was addressing the factions of his day, by starting a new one. (That is the most preposterous aspect of his teaching, there are too many factions! I need to start a new one to put an end to the factions! But it is the same mentality that results in Campbellitism or non-denominationalism, in fact Campbellites were among the first converts to Mormonism.
Nor do you avoid the teachings of men by being in a non-denominational church, as nothing stops men from teaching there, in fact there may be less oversight from others to keep a pastor in a nondenominational church from teaching his opinions rather than agreed upon biblical doctrine. This is another practical aspect of a denomination. Lutherans know that men are by nature sinful, and prone to teaching opinion rather than true doctrine. It happens from time to time that one of our brothers strays from what is truly biblical. It is then that other Lutheran pastors work to restore that brother to true doctrine. This doesn’t always happen perfectly, but that is the point.
But if I am a denomination to myself? Well then what keeps me from teaching what I want? Who is there to correct me if I error?
And so in fact, church bodies like Calvary Chapel have also seen the need for this sort of oversight. They share a doctrine, and then to identify with that doctrine they share a logo. But then sharing that logo, they find it necessary to hold each other accountable; you don’t want to give Calvary Chapel a bad name by teaching something that the other Calvary Chapels don’t believe. and to insure that the pastors using the logo know what it is the logo stands for, they go to Calvary Chapel Seminary, and finally they are a denomination the same as any denomination, except they are a dishonest denomination because they refuse to call themselves one. It is ridiculous.
On the other hand I much prefer denominations to non-denominational. It is simply a matter of practicality. When someone starts attending my church and it is necessary to know if they were baptized or not, it is much easier to see what the denomination teaches concerning the trinity and therefore determine if the Baptism was a true baptism, then going to check the doctrine of every store front church in the country, claiming not to be affiliated with any other church body.
In the end I’m tempted to just discount as Christian any non-denominational church simply for the fact that they are unchristian in their separatism.