Every major religion such as Islam, Hinduism, Buddhism, or Shinto, has
the equivalent to what we call denominations. Denominations are like
a franchise that supports a local expression of a particular emphasis.
The New Testament tells us that Jesus intended to build his Church (Matthew
16:18), and the Book of Acts and the Epistles describe various kind
of local church activity and church planting. But as churches have
mushroomed in most countries of the world, thousands of denominations have
emerged to serve and control them. In addition to emphasizing points
of doctrine, there are many models of how their leadership is structured.
In the Books Section you might check out The
Church: An Organic Picture of Its life and Mission and Go
Make Learners The following articles use a model approach
to explain or commend aspects of our church and mission.