Faith is a very personal and important part of our lives. As such we would love to share it with the people we care about. We’ve heard and seen Catholics inviting non-Catholics to share in their important ceremonies and events such as Baptism, Sunday Mass and First Communion.
Similarly, Catholics have been invited by their non-Catholic friends to attend their events and services. However, the question is, can a Catholic go to a non-denominational church? Well, this article looks at that and provides insights on key issues around non-denominational worship.
What You'll Learn Today
What Are Non-Denominational Churches?
Before we start, we need to define what non-denominational churches are. Non-denominational churches and by extension Christianity refers to a section of churches that distance themselves from creedalism and confessionalism.
They are typically founded by pastors who have very little if any affiliation to the historic denominations as we know them. The lack of affiliation may be out of choice or due to fact that they separated at some point in the course of history.
The Criticism Behind Non-Denominational Churches
Before you decide whether attending a non-denominational church is right or wrong for a Catholic faithful, you need to look at the criticism behind it. Religion scholars have argued that non-denominationalism uses a veneer of Christian unity to hide the spiritual issues and fundamental theological ideals that led to the splitting of the church into denominations.
Instead of concentrating on the spiritualism and culture of its churchgoers, non-denominationalism advocated for general moralism. The danger with this approach to Christianity is that lowers the emphasis on scriptures which in turn leads to reduced religious literacy. You are more likely to get into inter-religious conflict by following non-denominational teachings.
Individualism has been seen to the driving force behind these non-denominational churches. Young adults and millennials make most worshippers in these churches.
What Is Different Between catholic And Non-Denominational Churches
There are some significant differences between Catholic Christianity and non-denominational Christianity. Here are some of them.
Jesus And Salvation
While both advocate for the centrality of Christ in salvation, non-denominational Christians view salvation as a moment in time. It is a one-off intellectual decision to follow Jesus. Once the salvation moment happens, non-denominationalists believe that it can never be lost.
That is not the case with Catholicism. Here the belief is on continuous salvation-you have been saved, you are being saved, and there is the hope of salvation. The power of faith working through love is the underlying force.
Unlike in non-denominational churches where baptism is a mere symbol, Catholics believe in the significance of baptism as described in scriptures- John 3:5 “Jesus answered,
“Very truly I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless they are born of water and the Spirit.”
Communion
Non-denominational churches as well as catholic churches celebrate communion. However, they do it differently. In catholic, communion is part of the community of congregation, something the church emphasizes and holds so dear.
In catholic teaching, receiving the Eucharist is equivalent to receiving the soul, divinity, body, and blood of Jesus. On the contrary, the non-denominational churches consider holy communion as being just a mere symbol which they take infrequently. To them, holy communion is about the people and not Christ.
Therefore, at every Mass, this is what you forgo by not partaking the holy communion or by skipping it because you are attending a non-denominational church.
Authority
Catholic Church has a set of teachings passed down over the years that have been proclaimed as the Truth and safeguarded by the power of the Holy Spirit. These are the teachings that guide their conduct and order their actions. When it comes to non-denominational churches, the Bible is expectedly the central book of instruction, but that is not all. Pastors teachings are also held to be true.
Now the problem is that any disagreement with the teachings of a certain pastor or reverend, or bishop could mean factions and splits in the Church.
Should You Attend Non-Denominational Churches
Well, having considered the above issues, you could make your decision on whether you should attend or not. However, from the standpoint of catholic teachings, it is not a sin to attend a non-denominational church.
The problem is that you will not fulfill your Sunday obligation. Besides, taking the bread and juice or wine served in non-denominational churches is considered an apostasy against the Catholic faith.
You may not realize it but the more you attend non-denominational churches, the more you drift away from the true faith and salvation. Eventually, you will become a shallow Christian with little knowledge of Christian history and teachings.
Conclusion
Think of the strong and sound teachings of the Christian faith as brought out by the Catholic denomination. That may be the best you can get and if you think going to a non-denominational church will fill the void, you may be completely lost.
Your local Catholic church may look boring or not as majestic in its appearance and vigor of worship, but therein lies sound teachings of true Christianity.
Hi Sam,
I’m a college student living in Ohio and my friend took me to a non-denominational church. I was raised and am still catholic but have been having trouble going to Mass and getting much out of it. If I’m being honest, the Mass tends to bore me and alot of the time I don’t understand the significance of the parts of the Mass. When I went to the non-denominational church I wasn’t drawn to the praise and worship but was drawn to the dynamic pastor.
Hopefully this is enough context. My question for you is: How do I reinvigorate my love for the faith when I want to remain catholic but other options seem to be more enjoyable?
Thanks for the good article!
Continuous education of yourself! I can understand what you are saying bc I used to feel like that myself. However, there is so much richness in our mass… and taking the time to learn about it, to educate yourself.. to know and understand it.. the what is it’s, and the why’s… will greatly bring the mass to life for you, and give you a deep experience and appreciation for this perfect act of worship, which the mass is, and which the Lord requires of us, for the sake of Justice – “it is right and just” for us to worship Him.
I highly recommend getting a copy of the Cathechism, praying the rosary DAILY, and also listening to the wealth of YouTube content at our disposal… Sensus Fidelium is a great channel to learn from, as well as Fr. Chris Alar, who has a whole series on understanding the mass and the Catholic faith.
God Bless You!
Hello Michael! Men become Catholic priests because of their love of God and their willingness to endure a life of hardship. Conversely, many Non Dom pastors are successful in growing their congregations because they are naturally gifted at multiple social skills, and therefore their presentations will typically provide far more entertainment and engagement value than any orthodox service. Both churches are made of good, loving people who service the poor and needy.
The difference is that we believe that the comparatively ‘dull’ Catholic Church is THE church founded by Christ–and which Paul writes should not contain division. In that truth, you must use your faith to search within yourself to find connection to God. A painless amd useful tool to better understand God’s church would be to listen to the startlingly brilliant words of Dr. Anders, who broadcasts a one hour show on EWTN five days a week. No fluff. No appeals to emotion or sentiment. No rhetoric. Terse logic and scholarship with a brief chuckle here and there. Dr. Anders, trained by our Proestant brethren, is a living lesson on scholarship and elocution.
Thank You for this!
Hi there,
My name is Calvin, I was born a Roman Catholic and still practice it.
There have been times when I felt the church is very important, and at time no so, but in the last several years I find myself reading nothing but the holy bible, strengthen my faith, and share it with others daily, and can appreciate the Catholic church much more, even when I don’t attend church often. I believe strongly in the original church Jesus established, where the Holy Spirit guided the original servants of God to document Jesus’ teaching; anything else seems to be a delineation of it.
It’s a wound or weakening of the church, when many go off the main path of the original. The devil is happy when it’s divided, strongly recommend reading the Screwtape letters, by C.S. Lewis. I advocate if something is to be questioned within the church, then I need to work with others to investigate, understand and to remedy it, instead of jumping ships. Often I can be mislead by my own thoughts and understanding, or lack of years of studying scripture. Better yet, not empty of this world enough to hear the words and guidance of God, as He speaks often to me.
Knowing I am not perfect, but seeking the Lord to forgive and help me be a better vessel for Him, then so is the church. The church is the unity of all that believe Jesus is the only Son of God, sent to save us all by spilling His blood, the Eucharist, the saints that are examples of how we can be like them, and much more.
Where is the Unity if we keep splitting His unity?? The disciples, I am sure disagreed often, but continued to build a unified church. We should all participate fully to continue this unity in Jesus.
With God’s blessings, wisdom and understanding.
Cal
My personal experiences growing up as a non-denominational Christian & what I’ve learned; God, Jesus & the Holy Spirit are the trinity. Once you learn who God, & Jesus truely is, you tend to fall in love, you then obey the laws out of love for the creator. Jesus born of a virgin, came to earth to save us, he died and was resurrected for God’s glory and for the human race to have a chance at having an eternal relationship with Him. I learned that I must choose God every day. Salvation can be lost as you change or turn away from God, as you choose sin over God. Jesus talked alot about he does not like lukewarm Christians, saying you love & follow but living a totally different lifestyle. Your heart is not for him and he is not in you. You must welcome him in daily. Praying = conversations with God.
Communion is representation of Jesus’s sacrifice, he showed the disciples and said, to have Communion in remembrance of Him.
My pastors growing up always said to make God #1 in your life, his will #1st. Reading his word and praying should be the first thing you do in the day. to meditate on His word, to keep it in my heart.
Have a blessed day.