However, it does speak of the unity of believers and the need to achieve it. Non-denominational Christians often have an inclination to regard the Bible itself as their authority rather than the customs of a different church. As contemporary fellowship has moved away from traditions, many people preferred the Christian teachings of the Bible to the edicts or directives of the authorities of large churches. Nondenominational Christianity first emerged in the 18th century through the Stone-Campbell Restoration Movement, and its followers organized themselves simply as Christians and disciples of Christ at a Nondenominational Church in Mount Pleasant SC.Congregations in this tradition of nondenominational Christianity often refer to themselves as Churches of Christ.
The Bible doesn't specifically mention nondenominational churches. The biblical position is that there is a church, Christ is the head, Christ must be proclaimed and, in all things, Christ must be honored. Independent and nondenominational churches continued to appear in the United States throughout the 20th century. Both taught that the authority of the local church should rest with the congregation and the leadership of the church.
Denominational churches, on the other hand, will have a set of creeds or beliefs that are strongly based on church tradition, but that may not be based on the Bible compared to non-denominational churches. A Christian church that functions autonomously, without an external source of accountability and without being affiliated or committed to a particular denominational group, may be classified as a nondenominational church. However, nondenominational churches are not subject to the same level of structure and process than other churches. Most evangelical churches that are not aligned with the Eastern Orthodox or Catholic Church could be considered non-denominational.
A nondenominational church is not accountable to an outside leadership group (such as a regional office, mission director, or bishop) and generally operates independently in the mission area (rather than partnering with other churches to send or support missionaries). Many nondenominational churches adhere to the Congregationalist system of government, while others are governed by elders. It is difficult to clearly define the beginning of the use of the terms denominational churches and nondenominational churches, since there is no specific date, place or person to identify with the breakdown of the authority of bishops in the early years of the Catholic Church. A nondenominational church is a Christian church that is not affiliated with any established denomination or conventional church, such as Baptist, Catholic, Presbyterian, Lutheran, or Methodist.
Although there are exceptions, the belief system of most nondenominational churches honors Christ and aligns with the teachings of the New Testament Church. A nondenominational church is a Christian church that functions autonomously and is not formally aligned with a particular denomination.
