In Matthew 16:18, Jesus promised to build a church. In Acts 2:47, Luke tells us that people were being added to that church. Thus, we can conclude that Jesus built his church sometime between his promise in Matthew 16 and Luke’s statement in Acts 2. Indeed, a closer study of the events in Acts 2 reveals that the Lord’s church was established on that first day of Pentecost following the Lord’s resurrection when Peter preached the first gospel sermon. That church is the church of Christ.

 

A common misconception about the church of Christ is that “The Church of Christ” is our name. It is not. The “church of Christ” is our description. We are the church that belongs to Christ, that was established by Christ, that was built by Christ, and that was bought by Christ. The church is not our church or my church or your church. The church is not man-made. The church is the Lord’s church. In Matthew 16:18, Jesus said “upon this rock I will build my church.” The ‘church of Christ’ is none other than Christians who make up the body of Christ, His spiritual Kingdom on Earth. God adds us to his church when we obey His gospel.

 

The church of Christ is nondenominational and has no central headquarters or president. There are no governing boards; neither regional, national, nor international to guide and establish rules for worship. Each congregation of the churches of Christ is autonomous, self-governing and independent of other congregations. It is the Word of God that unites us into One Faith (Ephesians 4:3-6). The only tie which binds the many congregations together is a common allegiance to Jesus Christ and the teaching found in the Bible.

 

The head of the church is none other than Jesus Christ himself (Ephesians 1:22-23). Each congregation is led by elders and deacons as taught in 1 Timothy chapter 3 and Titus chapter 1.

 

Here at Barboursville, we are a group of Christians whose only aim is to worship God and serve each other with love. Our worship is designed after the teachings found in the New Testament, those of Jesus Christ and his holy Apostles, and not the teachings of man. We are Christians only!

 

If you are a member of something else or something more or something less, then you are not serving God according to his plan or according to his will. He wants you to be a Christian and only a Christian, wearing only the name of his Son, Jesus Christ, who is the head and the savior of the church, his body. If you have questions about our worship service, please feel free to ask.