The Independent Christian Church is a loose body of churches arising from the Restoration Movement of the early 19th century. Its goal was to restore Biblical authority and New Testament Christianity while avoiding "extra-biblical creeds" including scriptural interpretation and the emphasis on fellowship tests, according to the church's website.
Here are four other characteristics of this Christian church body that distinguish it from other Christian churches:
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1. The Independent Christian Church is Not a Denomination:
The Independent Christian Church is a category more than a denomination. It is a group of autonomous churches and there is no central headquarters. There are no specific denominations and the group acts mainly as an umbrella to help independent churches organize when that is necessary,
according to Faith Communities Today.
In fact, the Independent Christian Church avoids all mention of denomination and will claim to be "Christian only." They consider the practice of dividing Christianity into denominations one that separates Christians and prevents productive unity.
2. Baptism Required for Salvation:
Baptism is normally evidence of salvation, not a requirement for it. The only way to salvation is through faith, according to other Christians.
Churches under the Independent Christian Church believe baptism to be one of four steps to salvation, along with belief, repentance, and confession of Christ. This goes against the usual fabric of actions not being instrumental to salvation and the group is frequently criticized for their emphasis on actions instead of faith.
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3. The Christian Life Has A Syllabus:
In line with the action-based approach to salvation, the Independent Christian Church also places task requirements on people if they wish to be considered Christian. Going away from the "just believe" philosophy of other Christian group, the Independent Christian Church indicates Christians must perform the following each day:
• Pray
• Study the Bible
• Worship
• Remain faithful
This makes this group really the only one with requirements on how one must worship. This is another tenet that is criticized for being too oriented with good works as a means to salvation.
4. The Celebration of Weekly Communion:
While other Christian churches celebrate the Lord's Supper sporadically, the Independent Christian Church celebrates this tradition weekly. This is considered the most important celebration for maintaining fellowship with God and other church members.
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