Non-denominational? What is that?

well, firstly, charismatic just means you believe in the gifts of the Holy Spirit ie they are still for the church today and are still in manifestation.

so you have Methodists that are charismatic (like in my ex-church), Lutherans that are charismatic, even Catholics that are charismatic, and non-denominationals that are charismatic. so its not true that only non-denominationals are charismatic.

and when one says "denomination" it usu refers to traditional established denominations such as methodist, presbyterian, catholic, baptist, etc.

so if you set up a church that's independent and not under the 'headship/heirachy' of any of these denoms, what do you call it? for convenience, we just say "independent or inter-denom or non-denom".

I believe non-denominations or independent churches are the best thing that has happened in church history. If you are in an established denom, then you are in a certain 'box'. People label you the moment you say i'm catholic or presbyterian, put you in a category, and worse of all, you have to follow what that denom teaches and practices.

Independent churches/non-denoms are free from all that to follow the moves of the Holy Spirit, and break away from man-made traditions, at least that's the whole idea.

Of course, it cuts both ways and can lead to cults and weird churches but I'd rather be free than boxed in. I simply believe that the Holy Spirit will lead anyone who hungers for the truth into the truth, and that it is much easier for him to do it when you are not bound in any denom's doctrines/practices.

Ditto to what Andrew said.

I grew up in a denominational church and I agree there is much more freedom in the non-denom. Instead of being forced to run the church according to pre-determined rules made by folks way off in another state somewhere, we are allowed to flow with the Spirit.

Now that does not mean we do not answer to anyone. I would be a little leary of being part of a group that has no covering. We each need to be accountable to someone.

"Generic Christian Churches" as I like to call them, are a call back to "basics". Our Church is small, about 1,500 members and is only 5 years old. Also the Church is supported by 40 LifeGroups, in which people meet weekly at people's homes, discussing personal issues, Bible Study, Book Study, the Sermon, and any other things that come up.

We Major on the Majors, and agree and accept that we won't all agree on the Minors.

Denton Bible, the church I belong to, is NON charismatic. It is strongly against actually. The speaking in tongues and slapping each other's foreheads and unconscious bodies on the floor at the end of the service... it's not meant to be a place that people "yell and scream and have a great time". I talked to a 75 year old person and that's what he liked about church. Denton Bible is highly liked a church from the Reformation. Very conservative and so on.

But yes, I have noticed what you've percieved.

Originally posted by quizzler
Is this the ones who think they are too righteous to fit anywhere else?

Seriously though. What's with that? Can't most of them be classified as Charismatic? If so, then why hide behind an indescip word? I guess its the same reason my church is called Northwood Church when we are a Baptist Church. But if you were to ask us what affiliation our church is, most people would say Baptist. I just don't understand the label non-denominational if most are Charismatic. I've known of too many churches that were labeled non-denominational to consider non-denominational anything else.

So i guess another question is this:

Has the Charismatic churches changed from calling themselves Charismatic denomination to Non-Denominational denomination?

Not trying to bogg the server with such trivial questions but this has bugged me.

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I'm non-denominational, and it means that I don't affliate completely with any particular denomination. On a related note, I don't affiliate with any political party, either. I'm an independent.

I don't know of any charismatic church calling itself "non-denominational" in order to hide its true identity. All the non-denominational churches I know are just that--not affiliated with any one denomination.

Originally posted by quizzler
I hope i am not offending you by saying that it appears that you don't like to be held down to any belief, though i actually can see where you could make that stand in both areas.

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I don't just line up with everyone else or let anyone else do my thinking and choosing, no. I don't think any one denom has it "all together" so I don't affiliate with any of them. I would never be able to "toe a party line" on a particular topic or concept just because my denomination or party tells me to. I'm a Kent State graduate, and free-thinking is a very big thing at Kent.

And i wasn't neccessarily meaning that the charismatic churches where turning affiliations. I just find that many of these non-denoms are churches that believe in faith healing, dancing in the aisle and allowing women to lay on the floor in manner indencently, as if God made them lie there that way for the whole congregation to see. But that might be a local stereotype.

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But a lot of non-denoms don't do any of that. It might be a bit of a stereotype. I bet you've just seen more of those types of non-denoms than the non-charismatic type.

Also think about it, most non-denominational churches are made up of people who are Catholic, Luthern, Methodist, Baptist, Presbyterian, Anglican etc. etc.

Originally posted by quizzler
But isnt that what you are implying. You have no one to answer to. I think its a great concern for Christianity for anyone to think they are free-er in a non-denominational church than a Established denomination with a governing body.

And what is Flowing with the Spirit? And what do you imply about my church which is Baptist? We are incapable of flowing with the Spirit? And i guess the Catholic church really can't flow with the Spirit sense they are more structured?

So what is the standard belief system of a non-denominational church?

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I'm sorry quizzler, my statements were totally innocent of judgement.

I never really understood the difference until I left a denominational church and went to a non-denomination. Actually, I was a little fearful because all I had ever known was the denomination. But the Lord led me to another church and the structure was just very different.

I liked the way the "politics" of the non-denom flowed much easier. In the denom there would be alot of bickering and manipulating that was undermining to the ministry. I know that does not happen at every denom but from what I hear it happens at a great majority of them.

It's hard to explain, it's just different. A better different, in my opinion.

Quaffer

I've been familiar with a few non-denominational churches, and although they were all Bible-believing churches, I can't imagine any two non-denoms being really the same. Only one that I'm familiar with (the one I have attended recently) is a charismatic church, and it's really a low-key one -- there's some special services that feature the gifts of the Holy Spirit, but we don't generally have people rolling in the aisles or speaking in tongues during the main service.

I think one other thing is this. When a Christian moves into the realm of the Spirit -- ie he receives the Baptism of the Holy Spirit, speaks in tongues, starts learning about the moves/gifts of the Holy Spirit, and hungers for more, he wld somehow wanna move to a charismatic church, which usu happens to be non-denom, if his church is a traditional one.

that was the case with me. cant explain why, just a leading of the Spirit to go elsewhere where you can be fed and sustained.

but whatever church we are in, we shld always remain open to the Spirit's leading, and not put our loyalty to the denom above the Spirit's leading.

Why do we classify ourselves anyway?? The place I attend worship doesn't even have a church name. We are simple "Harvest Christian Fellowship." Who cares what name you associate yourselve with, the question how do people see you. Do you they see you as church folk or disciples of Christ. The Bible says foremost we are to "love God and love people". I think the unsaved just want to see God in us and not so much the affiliation thing.

To answer your original question. I see many people leaving who you call traditional churches. Some of these people are uncomfortable with a charismatic label for whatever reason. Secondily there seems to be another group of people who are starting to congregate ( pardon the pun ) to form churchs that aren't really traditional, but yet not fully charismatic either. They may like a little bit more livelier worship, different church govt., etc., but they are not ready to go off the deep end. So hence you see the move to non-denominational, inter-denominational, etc.



***Please forgive the misspelling, I can't get my secretary to proof read my post

I go to a non denom in my area. actually, many of the area churches that I know of are non denom and none that I know of are charismatic. since the "non denominational" term is applied to such a wide variety of churches, I think it is hard to make any generalizations about them. It probably varies more by area than anything else. I live in Maryland and was have a large Catholic population, I actually don't know of any charismatic church in my area at all, come to think of it.

anyway, what I like are non denom is that we can run things locally. we have sister churches so we have some accountability there, but we can really do what we need to without a lot of red tape. The other week My church youth group had an event with the youth groups of a non denom church from the next town, but that wasn't one of our sister churches. I was surprised how well it worked, we just called them up, and it happened. From what I've heard from friends who are in a denomination and have tried to go on a mission with another denomination, there were a lot of problems, the leaders couldn't agree on how to work things, the kids disagreed with each other. It was just bad.

When I was a member of a denominational church, I had to take a class on church history in order to become a member, and I also had to give my testimony to the elders. I wasn't allowed to take communion until I did this. I was bothered by that, it was like they were judging whether I was good enough to join their club. I realise they had no intentions like that, but that was how I felt. At my church now if you want to be a member, you just say "I'm a member" and you are. you can take communion whenever you want.

I also don't like the idea of classifying myself as anything. I'm a Christian, and I don't think I need to be more than that. I wouldn't want Non denominational to turn into a denomination itself, and I don't think it has since every church is seperate and there is no set "non denominational" list of beliefs. when people ask me what I am I say Christian, and they usually say something like "yeah but what kind?" I don't like that, why should we be seperate? my friends in my youth group now have so many different backgrounds, Catholic, Baptist, Presybeterian, ect. I usually just tell people I'm a plain old Christian, and that helps start conversations. Then it becomes more about Christ than about religion.

I don't want to bash denominations, there are great denominational churches, and some weird non denom ones, but in general I don't like the idea of denominations.

I claim non-denomination, because I don't claim to be part of any denomination. I don't consider myself to be protestant, reformed, or anything else. Just part of the Family of Christ, and that's it.