Denominations

So what’s with all of the countless denominations within Christianity? Who is right and who is wrong? This question has plagued me for most of my life. I remember growing up and thinking that some of the kids in my school who went to other churches were less Christian than the people that attended my church and denomination. I’m sure I’m not the only one who has ever thought that. While I have moved past this thinking in some sense there still is the question in my mind as to why there are so many denominations. Didn’t Christ pray for his people to be unified? So what’s the deal?

Well obviously the church is full of humans. This means they all still have the propensity to sin. Even leadership! Some within may not even be truly regenerate. Shocking, I know. But fallen people plus fallen ideas equals fallen results. This is why there have been so many church splits and ultimately denominational creations. Now understand, most of the denominations that have been formed started out with the right idea. Or at least they had good intensions. Most things start out good, but they are corrupted over time. There is continually a need for re-evaluation and reformation. So ultimately some denominations have to be formed because the one before it started veering off the road of truth.

But as I’ve gotten older I’ve also realized that denominations exist because different gifts and personalities exist. Certain practices are going to appeal to certain types of people. A church that places a heavier emphasis on teaching is going to reach a certain personality better than the church that places more emphasis on music and expression. Is one right and one wrong?

In the end as true Christ followers, Christians, saints, disciples or whatever you want to label yourself (that’s another topic for another day) we must agree on the essentials of our faith. I’m not naïve enough to believe that we’ll all agree on what those essentials are. Some will say that a certain Bible translation or a particular type of worship music is essential. I would disagree with those two examples and have to humbly state that our essentials must come from God. And since no one I know has ever had an audible conversation with Him at Starbucks, we have to get our information as He has revealed it in the Bible. No traditions of men should be deemed as essential. They can be important and even helpful to some. But they can’t be essential. Ultimately we have to be about what Christ was about. Without Him and His mission the church is just another group of people who think they are better than everyone else.