Which Christian Denomination Is The Best?

Q: There are so many different Christian denominations. Which one is correct, or which one is the most correct, or are, are? Are there ones that should be avoided?

A: There are a lot of Christian denominations. Let me tell you about the one I belong to. My non-denominational denomination is Calvary Chapel. Calvary Chapel is a fellowship of churches. There are around 2000 Calvary Chapels, and probably a lot more churches that are Calvary Chapels in practice, but they just don’t have the name or the formal association. I love my association of churches, this non-denominational denomination. I’m so grateful for what it’s done in my life and in my ministry and my walk with God. I believe that if the entire body of Christ looked just like Calvary Chapel, it would be a loss, not a gain.

But I also think that God has a variety of denominations for a purpose. I can think of a few reasons why. First of all, when the church has been largely organizationally unified, it hasn’t always been a blessing. I think that there is some providence in denominational structure the way it is today.

Secondly, I believe in the figure of the Body of Christ. In explaining how a church congregation has a variety of members, Paul likens them to the parts of the body, including visible parts as well as things that are on the inside that nobody sees. Just as our church congregation needs a variety of members, I think that the body of Christ as a whole needs a variety of members. While I think that there is a downside to denominations, I think they’re ultimately a blessing.

Now, there are some denominations which are largely sold out to liberal theology. They don’t take the Bible seriously. Some people call them progressive. But I believe that even in those denominations, some faithful pastors and congregations can be found. Here’s my advice to you. Instead of judging something by the denomination, judge it by the individual congregation. You can have largely good denominations, such as my own, the non-denominational denomination of Calvary Chapel, with some bad pastors and churches in them. On the other hand, you can have some generally bad denominations with some faithful pastors and congregations in them. Judge it more by the individual congregation and the individual leadership of that church than by its denominational label.