Quote:
Originally Posted by Evangelical
I am understanding that the issue with the local churches is mostly around the hypocrisy (whether perceived or real, people have a wide variety of experiences). From my experience the local churches are more receiving than those in denominations. Often the people in the local churches will never try to engage or debate with them in a negative way. But rather the denominational people will try to start a debate or argument over some trivial issue. I recall my last argument with a denominational someone was about whether regular Christians can do evangelism. They said they can't, only the church leaders or specifically trained or called people can preach the gospel.
This is most often the case in denominations, it is only the specially ordained or appointed positions that can do anything meaningful.
That is the reason we have denominations - people are too uncomfortable in catholic so they go to baptist. If too uncomfortable in baptist they go to Lutheran. Denominational people are individuals seeking comfort and a church service that caters to their needs and perceptions of what a church should be.
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When you use the word denomination, keep in mind LC usage of denomination is much different than how a general non-LC Christian would use it. In the Local Churches, any assembly that is not taking LSM as their one publication is a denomination.
For most Christians a Lutheran church is a denomination. A community church is not. A Presbyterian church is a denomination. A Bible church is not.
Though having known brothers who meet with Lutheran and Baptist denominations, they do share practices one might see in the local churches.
At work I have a brother in Christ who will not meet with any church that is not Lutheran. Just as I know brothers in the local churches that won't meet with any church that is not taking LSM publications.
I know a brother in Christ whose only Christian experience is being raised in Baptist assemblies. Just as I know brothers and sisters from local churches whose only Christian experience is the local churches.