Church and Community

church

Church and community are not the same. A church is simply a building which has a holy and sacred ambience for its congregation. On the other hand, a community is the place or a group of people who share the same faith, that is to say they believe in the Christian God. Both church and community have the same objective, which is to worship God according to their own beliefs and position. But unlike the church which is hierarchical in nature, the community is communicative and non-hierarchical.

Catholic Church is a Catholic ecclesiastical term referring generally to the church visible, consisting of all Catholic Christians, operating since the Protestant Reformation some hundreds of years ago. In essence, every Catholic Christian is a member of the body called catholicus, though there are no real distinctions between men of the same faith. There is also no real communion between the people of the different denominations. The Catholic church exists as an institution with authority delegated by Christ to His apostles. It consists of three levels the local church, which is the actual seat of authority, the clergy who are appointed by the Pope and the Bishops who are present in communion with the Pope.

Eastern Orthodox Church is a member of the Eastern Orthodox Church which exists in agreement with the Russian Orthodox Church. It is regarded as an approved sect by the Russian orthodox church, although it disagrees fundamentally with the Orthodox teachings on matters such as theosis. Eastern Orthodox believers hold to a creational concept of faith, wherein salvation occurs through theosis (theosis, becoming divine). Believing in this concept, the church does not view its bishops as legitimate pastors, but as spiritual teachers sent forth by Christ to save lost souls.

World Vision is a missionary church founded by the risen Lord Jesus himself. The concept of the universal church is the main thrust of the organization, which has representatives preaching the gospel to all the corners of earth. They also undertake missionary activities to countries where there is no visible church. It is believed that the lord Jesus wanted all people, particularly the lost ones, to be reconciled to God, and to have access to his spirit and peace. Because some local churches have seen this requirement to be fulfilled by them, the association has been granted permission by the Holy See to operate the universal church ecumenically.

Ecumenical or unity on the part of both the Bishops and the priests is what makes up the Ecumenical church. Unlike the other Christian churches, it does not separate a man from God, but considers him part of one body. All who participate in the service are considered to be one with Christ. This is different from the traditional churches which view men as separate and distinct from one another.

If you are seeking a church or would like to become a part of one, the initial capital letter of the church’s name is of great importance. The Ecumenical Association represents over forty national and international churches. There are two styles of Ecumenical church, the Presbyterian and the evangelical. If you are not aware of what these are, do a search online for more information.