Church of Christ vs. Non-denominational
A side-by-side comparison of Church of Christ and Non-denominational teaching on 16 questions, from Scripture and salvation to baptism, communion and church government.
Church of Christ
The Churches of Christ come from the American Restoration Movement of the early 1800s, which sought to return to the pattern of the New Testament church. Congregations are independent, and they are known for weekly communion and unaccompanied singing.
Non-denominational
Non-denominational churches are independent congregations with no formal denominational parent. Most are evangelical, centered on the Bible and personal faith in Christ, but each sets its own doctrine and style, so practice varies more here than in any other group.
At a glance
Where they differ: How a person is saved; Baptism.
Varies within one or both: Can a saved person fall away?; Predestination and free will; Clergy and women in ministry; The Holy Spirit and spiritual gifts.
Where they agree: Authority: Scripture and tradition; Books of the Bible; The Trinity; Communion (the Lord’s Supper); Sacraments or ordinances; Church government; Mary and the saints; Death, purgatory and hell; Style of worship; Day of worship.
Side by side
| Question | Church of Christ | Non-denominational |
|---|---|---|
| Authority: Scripture and traditionAgree | The New Testament is the pattern for worship and church life. Practices are expected to be supported by a command, an example or a necessary inference from Scripture. | The Bible is the final authority, and each congregation interprets it for itself. Most hold to biblical inerrancy in some form. |
| Books of the BibleAgree | 66 books. | 66 books. |
| The TrinityAgree | One God in three persons. Churches of Christ have no written creed and rest the belief directly on Scripture. | Almost always Trinitarian, though statements of faith are set by each church. |
| How a person is savedDiffer | Saved by grace, received through faith that includes repentance, confession of Christ and baptism. Baptism is taught as the point at which sins are forgiven, and faith is understood as active obedience. | Usually teaches salvation by grace through faith in Christ alone, received by a personal decision to trust him. Details are set by each church. |
| Can a saved person fall away?Varies | Yes. A Christian who lives in sin without repenting can fall away, and Churches of Christ point to warnings such as Hebrews 6 and 10. | Varies by church. Many teach eternal security, and others teach that salvation can be lost. |
| Predestination and free willVaries | Rejects Calvinist predestination. God offers salvation to all and each person must choose to obey the gospel. | Varies by church. Some are Calvinist and many are Arminian or take no stand. |
| BaptismDiffer | Immersion of a believer for the forgiveness of sins (Acts 2:38). Baptism is taught as necessary for salvation, and infant baptism is rejected. | Usually believer’s baptism by immersion, as a public witness. A few churches baptize infants or allow other modes. |
| Communion (the Lord’s Supper)Agree | A memorial observed every Sunday, since Acts 20:7 is taken to show the pattern of the early church. The elements are symbols. | Usually a memorial ordinance, observed as often as each church chooses. |
| Sacraments or ordinancesAgree | Two ordinances, baptism and the Lord’s Supper. | Two ordinances, baptism and the Lord’s Supper. |
| Church governmentAgree | Each congregation is fully autonomous and is led by a group of elders (also called shepherds or overseers). There is no denominational headquarters. | Each church governs itself, generally under a pastor or a board of elders. |
| Clergy and women in ministryVaries | Elders, preachers and public worship leaders are men. Women teach children and other women and take part in many other roles. | Varies by church. Many limit pastors to men and others welcome women in leadership. |
| Mary and the saintsAgree | Mary is honored as the mother of Jesus. There is no prayer to saints, and no role for saints in worship. | Mary is honored as the mother of Jesus. Non-denominational churches do not pray to saints. |
| Death, purgatory and hellAgree | The dead await judgment in Hades, in comfort or in torment. After the resurrection the righteous enter heaven and the wicked face eternal punishment. | Believers go to be with Christ at death and unbelievers face judgment. There is no purgatory. |
| Style of worshipAgree | A simple service of singing, prayer, preaching, communion and giving. Most congregations sing without instruments. | Free-form and often contemporary, with a band, a sermon and modern arrangements. Each church sets its own style. |
| The Holy Spirit and spiritual giftsVaries | Generally teaches that miraculous gifts, such as tongues and healing, ended with the apostolic age. The Spirit is understood to work through the written Word. | Varies. Some non-denominational churches are charismatic and others hold that miraculous gifts have ceased. |
| Day of worshipAgree | Sunday, the first day of the week (Acts 20:7). | Sunday, with some churches also offering Saturday evening services. |
| Best known for | Weekly communion, unaccompanied singing, believer’s baptism for forgiveness and a determination to follow the New Testament pattern. | Independence, contemporary worship, a focus on personal faith and the Bible, and rapid growth as a share of American churchgoers. |
“Agree” means the two traditions take the same broad position, although the wording above may still note finer differences. “Varies” means at least one of the two is itself divided on the question, so no single position can be given. These summaries describe typical teaching, and individual churches may vary. For an authoritative statement, consult each denomination’s own confessions.
Learn more on this site
- What Does the Bible Say About Salvation?
- Grace
- Justification
- Baptism
- The Inspiration and Inerrancy of Scripture
- The Reliability of Scripture
- The Canon
- Textual Variants and "Lost Books" (Gnostic Gospels, Apocrypha)
- The Trinity
- The Deity of Christ
- Catholic Church
- Eastern Orthodox Church
- What Does the Bible Say About Heaven?
- What Does the Bible Say About Hell?
- What Does the Bible Say About Judgment Day?
- What Does the Bible Say About Worship?
- Sabbath
More comparisons
Church of Christ
- Catholic vs. Church of Christ
- Eastern Orthodox vs. Church of Christ
- Lutheran vs. Church of Christ
- Presbyterian / Reformed vs. Church of Christ
- Anglican / Episcopal vs. Church of Christ
- Methodist vs. Church of Christ
- Baptist vs. Church of Christ
- Anabaptist / Mennonite vs. Church of Christ
- Pentecostal vs. Church of Christ
- Seventh-day Adventist vs. Church of Christ
Non-denominational
- Catholic vs. Non-denominational
- Eastern Orthodox vs. Non-denominational
- Lutheran vs. Non-denominational
- Presbyterian / Reformed vs. Non-denominational
- Anglican / Episcopal vs. Non-denominational
- Methodist vs. Non-denominational
- Baptist vs. Non-denominational
- Anabaptist / Mennonite vs. Non-denominational
- Pentecostal vs. Non-denominational
- Seventh-day Adventist vs. Non-denominational