From Where I Stand: Churches of Christ

“All the churches of Christ greet you.” Paul was writing to the Christians in Rome when he closed his letter with greetings from other congregations he had encountered (Romans 16:16). They were not denominations, for none yet existed, but they were simply churches that belonged to Jesus Christ. Today, churches of Christ continue to exist around the world as autonomous communities of believers, striving to work and worship according to the approved examples of those early, first century churches Paul wrote about. If our worship seems primitive, that is by design – divine design – for it involves prayer, teaching, communion, sacrifice and a cappella music. It is our goal to do all things according to the authority of Christ, to worship in spirit and in truth, and to preach no other gospel than the faith once for all delivered (Jude 3). That is non-denominational Christianity, and the churches of Christ were committed to it long before it became popular again. It’s the pattern set by the apostles and it still works!