What lead you to be a non-denom?

[Dave G.]

Same here, I pick non-denom for CF, since people on CF go bonkers if I leave it vague, but really, I'm just a christian.

Yep that's it alright.

 

[salt-n-light]

As much as I love CF, in all the years I've been around here, I've never found it to be a great place for fellowship with like minded believers. Sure, I've had a few conversations, got to know (maybe) a few people a little better, but so far as deep meaningful lasting fellowship/friendship is concerned, not so much. If there's one thing I've learned, it's that where two or more people are, disagreement is not far behind. The more people, the more disagreement. The solution I've come to, is learning to appreciate a certain amount of disagreement, and trying to understand where others are coming from. For example, I disagree with Baptists on baptism, but I love reading and listening to Calvinistic Baptists on most any other subject, even when they discuss baptism, I can tolerate it (for the most part) because I once held the same view.

God is working on that with me on this CF, lol. But I do appreciate that alot of people here have their stories and can expound on different things, everyone has a different background and knowledge on things that make me think, and its teaching me to listen to others and have patience. There's always something I'm learning on CF, despite the heated arguments and tensions, that i usually don't get within the church I'm attending now.

 

[salt-n-light]

I think of myself as simply a Christian above all else, second I am a Protestant because my belief system aligns with Catholicism post Reformation, so in a sense Protestantism is Reformed Catholicism and a person only needs to learn more about the early Reformers and read from them to see this is the case. In other words, the Reformation did not entail a complete and total break from the Catholic Church, rather a purging of errors, a getting back to the Bible. Third I am a Calvinist and use it more to help others know where I am coming from, of course this has it's advantages and disadvantages. Many times I have thought about simply identifying myself as just a Christian, to decrease people's preconceived notions concerning Calvinists. Fourth I am a Presbyterian, a specific type of Calvinism I hold to, although I thought of myself as simply a Calvinist for quite some time while dealing with differences among Calvinists, which historically would include several denominations. At my core though, I am simply a conservative Christian, conservative as opposed to liberal, separating myself from liberal theology and it's proponents. I can sympthasize with Christians who are non-denom though, I understand there are many reasons behind identifying as non-denom, and I appreciate the emphasis of many within non-denom, the get back to the Bible, Christ centered, God centered approach. However, to me, the disadvantages outweigh the advantages. I do look forward to the gathering of all of God's elect in Christ, in Heaven where there will be no denominational boundaries to separate us. What a great and glorious day it will be!

I look forward to that too, when we can truly be of one body!

 

[salt-n-light]

Denominations breed separation. Yet the bible states we are all one. Jesus prayed that we might be one. coincidentally "non-denom" is also a grouping and a title to separate me from yous.

Come out from among them and be ye separate. Does this mean come out from the world? Most likely it means to come out from whatever i thought I was in before believing I am in the right place now. :-/

I've thought about identifying myself as non-denom.....but decided to become nobody instead. May i continue to decrease that He might increase. No more I but Christ.....

Non-denom is one of those weird terms to say that I'm not part of a denomination, which is kinda still a group, but then not everyone who are non-denoms go to a non-denom church, or go to a church assembly, lol.

In essence for me, I don't see a difference with the label "christian" and "non-denom", I feel like i am both a Christian that don't affiliate with any particular denomination, nor feel obligated to any church.For that, I find that those that label "Christian" or "non-denom", I seem to just click with the most.

 

[Stormy]

I love God. Most people suck.. Especially when they try at being "religious"

 

[Phil 1:21]

For me it was very simple. The Good Lord led me to a local church that happens to be non-denominational. It was refreshing (as well as shocking at first) to participate in a service where teaching the scripture was front and center. That was very different from the church in which I grew up.

 

[salt-n-light]

For me it was very simple. The Good Lord led me to a local church that happens to be non-denominational. It was refreshing (as well as shocking at first) to participate in a service where teaching the scripture was front and center. That was very different from the church in which I grew up.

That's so cool! If you don't mind me asking, what denomination would you say the church you grew up was part of, and how it differed from a non-denom church?

 

[Phil 1:21]

That's so cool! If you don't mind me asking, what denomination would you say the church you grew up was part of, and how it differed from a non-denom church?

I grew up in the Roman Catholic Church. I don't really want to hash out the differences here on this thread. There are a ton of them on this site already.

 

[salt-n-light]

I grew up in the Roman Catholic Church. I don't really want to hash out the differences here on this thread. There are a ton of them on this site already.

That's fine.

 

[Brotherly Spirit]

Was never religious or regularly attended church, I've never had a denomination. I've gone from a "Yeah I believe there's a God if asked" to "Not sure there's a God" to "There's no God" to "Not sure there's a God" to "I believe there's a God, if so I should be serious about it".

Basically I went through phases of what I thought. Now that I accept God, I've been trying to do so in the name of Jesus; him as the Christ and me as a Christian. If not for him, I wouldn't believe and accept God in my life.

Plus as others said I dislike the division of denominations, and I never liked hyphenations of people (this-nationality or that-last name). I much prefer this to be this and that to be that; it's Christianity, he's Christ, we're Christians.

 

[Linktogunner]

I consider myself just a christian. And any church that I feel teaches and lives by the fundamentals that God is the Father, Son, and Spirit, the totality of what He did and does for us, and that we are all sinners in need of a saviour is fine by me. Bible has to be the number one Rule of Faith. I particularly like the way the Nicene creed lays it out. I sometimes go to a Lutheran church, but will never say Im a lutheran. My home church is a non denominational group of believers that gather to worship and be strengthened in the Lord. We stand on the authority of scripture and summarize the faith in the Nicene creed.

 

[Heart2Soul]

I left the Assembly of God church when I was 24 the week the pastor announced the next 6 weeks of sermons would be about the doctrines of the church...I did not want to be bound up in religious ideology and doctrinal teachings that focused on the man and not God. So I prayed and asked God and i found a new church and the next 10 years my spirit grew to heights I may never have reached in a denominational church.

 

[PloverWing]

I left the Assembly of God church when I was 24 the week the pastor announced the next 6 weeks of sermons would be about the doctrines of the church...I did not want to be bound up in religious ideology and doctrinal teachings that focused on the man and not God. So I prayed and asked God and i found a new church and the next 10 years my spirit grew to heights I may never have reached in a denominational church.

This way of looking at theology is very different from how I look at it, and I really want to understand your point of view, so is it okay if I ask you to elaborate? I recognize that this is not my home forum, and I promise to be polite.

It sounds like your pastor was announcing a series of sermons on questions like "What do we mean when we say that Jesus was God and man?", "What does baptism mean?", "Why do we speak in tongues?", and so on; and if I understand you, this kind of analysis hinders your spiritual life instead of helping it. I can imagine that what's going on is maybe one of the following:

1) You're a practical person, and you'd rather stop analyzing and get on with living the Christian life; or

2) You want to be faithful to your own individual Christian beliefs, without a church telling you what to believe; or

3) Analysis of Christian experience interferes with the actual experience -- the way, say, that analyzing a poem to death might interfere with experiencing the poem, or analyzing one of Beethoven's symphonies might distract you from listening to the music.

Is it one of these, or something else?

I am, by the way, glad that you've found a church that helps you to serve and worship.

 

[Heart2Soul]

This way of looking at theology is very different from how I look at it, and I really want to understand your point of view, so is it okay if I ask you to elaborate? I recognize that this is not my home forum, and I promise to be polite.

It sounds like your pastor was announcing a series of sermons on questions like "What do we mean when we say that Jesus was God and man?", "What does baptism mean?", "Why do we speak in tongues?", and so on; and if I understand you, this kind of analysis hinders your spiritual life instead of helping it. I can imagine that what's going on is maybe one of the following:

1) You're a practical person, and you'd rather stop analyzing and get on with living the Christian life; or

2) You want to be faithful to your own individual Christian beliefs, without a church telling you what to believe; or

3) Analysis of Christian experience interferes with the actual experience -- the way, say, that analyzing a poem to death might interfere with experiencing the poem, or analyzing one of Beethoven's symphonies might distract you from listening to the music.

Is it one of these, or something else?

I am, by the way, glad that you've found a church that helps you to serve and worship.

I am inclined to say all 3 of your choices had something to do with my decision, but mostly I felt that a church should never promote their doctrines in a church sermon. It should be about God, it should be in the Bible. If we are not being taught according to God's Word then what are we being taught? What do we have to back up the teaching of doctrines to be biblically correct? How can I prove or disprove that this is the way God intended for us to worship? Then there is the scripture that tells us not to follow the doctrines of men...so, in summary I just want to go to church and hear the message of the Bible. I don't want to be told to be a member of a church I have to follow their doctrines of belief.

 

[PloverWing]

I am inclined to say all 3 of your choices had something to do with my decision, but mostly I felt that a church should never promote their doctrines in a church sermon. It should be about God, it should be in the Bible. If we are not being taught according to God's Word then what are we being taught? What do we have to back up the teaching of doctrines to be biblically correct? How can I prove or disprove that this is the way God intended for us to worship? Then there is the scripture that tells us not to follow the doctrines of men...so, in summary I just want to go to church and hear the message of the Bible. I don't want to be told to be a member of a church I have to follow their doctrines of belief.

That makes sense to me. Thanks for helping me to understand.

 

[Phil 1:21]

I left the Assembly of God church when I was 24 the week the pastor announced the next 6 weeks of sermons would be about the doctrines of the church...

It could have been worse; they could have been about fundraising.

 

[sdmsanjose]

I went to a Conservative Baptist church for decades and I appreciate their teachings on the bible. The last pastor was dry and I felt no spiritual nourishment for years. Many others in the church voiced the same and many left. I was invited by my sister to go to her non-denominational church and it was much better in spiritual nourishment and a LOT LESS preaching on being the denomination of the more correct theology. I do not want to hear any denomination state or insinuate that their religious theory and interpretations are superior to other denominations. Church denominations need to stay away from playing the competition game like they are different teams in the NFL. In addition, they were a lot more about preaching the Bible than doing the Bible.




The conservative Baptist I experienced had some very good theology but they did not relate real well to the minority Christians nor were they as warm and accepting as the non-denom that I found. The non-denom church has a lot more outreach and actions for the less fortunate, poor, and those that have a different cultural background.

 

[Boogaloo]

I just read this and yes it basically affirms my position as to why.

Christian Missionary | Ssdc-missions Home

 

[Jude1:3Contendforthefaith]

Instead of saying non-denom, why not just Christian or child of the living God. Denominations are a separation in the body of Christ. We should be of one mind and one body. People take things from outside the word then try and fit it into the bible, costly mistake.

Pretty much this. I don't even know what denomination my beliefs would even fall under.

I believe The Nicene Creed / Apostles' Creed and the first 3 Ecumenical Councils. Things start getting weird after that.

 

[Jude1:3Contendforthefaith]

Another reason why it's challenging to know what Denomination my beliefs would even fall under is because I agree with many teachings of them that I've attended through the years (Baptist, Calvary Chapel, Assemblies of God, Eastern Orthodox, Roman Catholic) But at the same time there are many Doctrines, Teachings and Practices that I don't agree with with in all of them.