Can You be a Christian Outside the Local Church?

Is it possible to be a Christian without the church? This seems to be a hot-button question lately. Almost every time I tune in to a Christian radio station, the pastor is telling me how important it is that I get my butt into a local pew, else I ain’t no real Christian. So are they right? Is it possible to be a Christian without a church?

When considering this question we must clarify what we mean by ‘the church.’ During apostolic times, the body of Christ and the church were one and the same, but the same cannot be said today. The body of Christ is the community of believers devoted to God’s Word, living lives of humble service to mankind, especially to those who believe (Galatians 6:10).

Pastors these days fail to acknowledge that churches can and often are corrupt and full of false teachings. While attending and contributing to a loving church dedicated to following God’s Word and educating us in the knowledge of God can be a wonderful experience, the truth is that not all churches are like this. The church is comprised of people, Christians, sure, but people. Like all people, they are corruptible. Leaders and teachers in the church often act and teach as though they are above human deficiencies, as if the church as an institution is immune to the weakness called sin, that whatever it does and whatever it teaches is good. Humans are fallible—that includes Christians and church leaders.

It is partially because of the church, its Christians and leaders, that my father no longer attends church. Their corruption and judgmental attitude towards one of their own drove him out. Perhaps once, in apostolic times, the church was a place of almost universal integrity and righteousness, but today it is a breeding ground for the greedy and the ambitious. Those with enough charisma and a sly tongue can slither into the pulpit and twist God’s Word to suit their purposes, teaching lies and corrupt versions of the truth (2 Tim 4:4), while padding their bank accounts.

Don’t get me wrong, there are many good churches out there, small places where God’s Word is taught by humble, righteous men. But there are just as many dens of thieves and megachurch millionaires.

In the Bible we find numerous verses referring to the church as the body of Christ.

Here’s where the devotees of the You-can’t-be-a-Christian-outside-the-church theory make their mistake. The ‘body of Christ’ indicates the kingdom of believers, each individual a member of the body, and each blessed with their own gift, a manifestation of the Spirit for the profit of all (1 Corinthians 12:4-7). Now, there are many members but one body, each member equally vital to the function of the body. The Word emphasizes the importance of believers communing and working together with other believers, being of one mind, admonishing us to walk worthy of the Lord, being fruitful in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God (Colossians 1:10). This can mean the local church, but it does not discount believers (members) outside the local denominational house of worship. 

If the local church does not itself walk worthy of the Lord, and fails to increase our knowledge of God, then it is no longer a functioning member of the body of Christ, and we are faced with two choices.

We can leave the local church (and search for one that loves the Lord and boldly teaches His Word), thereby liberating ourselves from false teachings and from the poor examples of lukewarm religious folk, or remain and strive to be the example its people obviously need. Striving as one small voice in a large crowd can be intimidating, and more often than not your voice is drowned by the masses, and teaching may not be your particular gift in the Spirit anyway. Still, it is a sad thing to have to walk out of a church. This is where prayer, and waiting on the still small voice of God comes in handy (1 Kings 19:12).

1 Corinthians chapter 14, Ephesians chapter 5, and Colossians chapters 1 and 4 provide richer and wiser guidance than I can ever hope to offer. In conclusion I will say this: you can be a Christian outside the local house of worship, but attempting to be a Christian apart from other Christian’s (members of the body) altogether is a fool’s errand, like grasping for wind. We need fellow believers to keep us upright (Ecclesiastes 4:9-10), to sharpen each other’s Christian minds (Proverbs 27:17), to exhort and encourage one another in the faith (Hebrews 3:13) lest we be deceived and fall to sin.

A fortune passes through the church; as an institution it is therefore prone to greed and deceit. Just look at the scandal of 2002 with all those priests, or take a peek into the lives of your church deacons; are they taking numerous vacations, lavishing themselves with expensive toys like luxury cars and boats? Money is a root of all kinds of evil, for which some stray from the faith (1 Timothy 6:10).

Attending and contributing to a loving church dedicated to following God’s Word and educating us in the knowledge of God is a wonderful experience. On the flip side, a church whose members have grown complacent and prideful can be not only unpleasant, but it can endanger your spiritual welfare.

Don’t let the local church cow you into thinking you are not a Christian just because you’re not a member of its elite congregation. You are a member of the body of Christ, who is the head of His Church, if you abide in God’s Word, obey His commands, and seek out the company and companionship of other true members of His Church.

But don’t take my words as gospel. Turn to the scriptures outlined above and decide for yourself the answer to the question.