If you’ve been asking, “How can I find a Non Denominational church near me,” then you’re in the right place. With increasing amounts of churches being established, it can be near impossible to find the right Non Denominational church.
At least it was for me. This article dives into the history of the Non-Denominational church, how it came about and where you can find one near you.
According to Brannon Deibert, “Non-Denominational Churches are independent congregations that do not affiliate themselves with established denominations of Christianity.”
This can commonly occur either naturally at the start of a church’s life, as a result of theological tensions, or due to the merging of multiple denominational churches.
They are often started by individuals whether pastors or congregations who desire to express their faith in a way that is either uniquely separate from any other denominational approach or that is free from the governing authorities of many denominational church bodies.
Although they may be uniquely different from denominational Christianity, non-denominational church near me attendees must still confess the core beliefs of the Christian faith and there are many overlaps in both theology and practice.
In recent times, there has been a radical increase in numbers of non-denominational churches worldwide.
In under two decades ranging from 1990 to 2008, membership in non-denominationalism increased by an incredible 4000% with now more than 8 million members attributing their spirituality to non-denominational Christianity.
Reasons for this are debated over, whether it’s the rise in individualistic mentalities of a post-truth society or the overall rejection of authority and skepticism surrounding institutional religion.
Non-denominational churches also offer a greater amount of freedom and flexibility in their liturgies, beliefs and practices.
This is attractive to a church-seeker who has become disoriented by the way some denominations are becoming intertwined with particular political prejudices.
This offers a way of tackling the pressing social justice issues within a community without having to be attributed to a specific political party.
If you’re thinking, “I’ve heard of a church like that near me”, then you’re probably right!
There are an increasing number of Christian organizations and collectives popping up to serve particular purposes without getting entangled in the religious-political arena.
Some of the more popular bodies to exist in this sphere include the Churches of Christ (CoC), The Independent Christian Churches (ICC), Association for a More Just Society (AMJS), and Hope Haven.
As you can probably tell, the decision to become a non-denominational church near me was a highly controversial one.
There are many pros and cons to this decision, which should be properly considered before choosing either way.
One of the positives of being an independent faith community is the freedom and flexibility to contextualize the doctrines of the congregation to suit the particular needs of the wider community.
On top of this, it is a more seeker-friendly model of church, which is less daunting for people new to faith. In a world that is constantly accelerating and changing, this certainly makes it easier to contextualize the Gospel.
A major con inherent to this movement is the lack of connection to a wider body which makes it difficult to find resources, financial backing or spiritual influence necessary to create a sustainable, multiplying community of faith.
It also opens up the door for confusion around what constitutes faith and produces the possibility to do more harm than good for a person new to faith, causing “one of these little ones to stumble”.
Lastly, we get to the question that started it all: “How can I find a Non Denominational church near me?”
This website will help you locate every Non-Denominational church in your area so you can find the perfect fit near you.
For me, I prioritize locality so my church community can be a part of my everyday community too. Simply search your state, county, suburb or post code into the search bar and the engine will develop a list of all the Non-Denominational churches close to where you live.
Its easy, start your search now.