Yes. The New Testament shows people becoming Christians and belonging to Christ without ever joining a denomination — for the simple reason that in the first century there were no denominations to join. A person heard the gospel, believed in Jesus, repented, confessed Him, was baptized, and was a Christian from that moment on. That's exactly what we're after here in Honesdale.
The hope behind this question is usually one we share: can I follow Jesus without signing on to a man-made system I'm not sure I believe in? Scripture's answer is yes, and it's worth taking the time to see why.
What the New Testament actually shows
When the early disciples needed a name, they didn't invent one. God gave them a simple one. Luke records that the disciples were first called Christians in Antioch (Acts 11:26). Not Christians-with-a-label. Just Christians. That's the word we take for ourselves too.
Notice who did the adding to the church, as well. After the first gospel sermon in Acts 2,
“The Lord added to their number day by day those who were being saved.” — Acts 2:47
There was no membership board and no denominational roster. People obeyed the gospel, and the Lord Himself added them to His church. That's still the pattern a person can follow today.
Where did denominations come from, then?
Not from the New Testament. The seeds of division were already showing up in the first century, and Paul confronted them directly.
“I appeal to you, brothers, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree, and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be united in the same mind and the same judgment.” — 1 Corinthians 1:10
The believers in Corinth had begun lining up behind their favorite teachers — one saying “I follow Paul,” another “I follow Apollos” — and Paul's response was blunt: “Is Christ divided?” (1 Corinthians 1:13).
That impulse never really went away. Centuries later it produced the split between the Eastern and Western church, then the Reformation and the Lutheran, Reformed, Anglican, Baptist, and Methodist bodies that grew out of it, and then the thousands of denominations and independent movements that have splintered off since. The names and disputes have changed over two thousand years, but the diagnosis Paul gave the Corinthians hasn't: division is what happens when people organize around a leader, a doctrine, or a tradition instead of staying anchored to Christ alone.
One body, not many
The Bible describes the church as one, not many.
“There is one body and one Spirit — just as you were called to the one hope that belongs to your call — one Lord, one faith, one baptism.” — Ephesians 4:4–5
If there is one Lord and one faith, then belonging to Him doesn't require choosing a brand.
That doesn't mean every Christian and every congregation looks identical. Paul also compared the church to a human body with many parts — hands, feet, eyes, ears — each different, all necessary, all still one body (1 Corinthians 12:12–13). Local congregations can differ in size, location, and style without becoming separate denominations. What makes a group a denomination isn't having its own building or elders; it's building a name, a creed, or a governing structure that sits above Scripture and separates its members from other Christians who share the same faith.
That's good news for anyone worn out by the sorting. You don't have to decide which organization has the best programs or the most comfortable culture. You can go straight to Christ and belong to the one body He built. That's the whole idea behind why we meet the way we do.
Then what am I actually joining?
Here's the part that surprises people: you join Christ, not a company.
“For in Christ Jesus you are all sons of God, through faith. For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ.” — Galatians 3:26–27
Baptism unites a believer with Jesus, and that union is what makes someone a Christian.
From there, Christians gather in local groups to worship God and encourage one another. Meeting with a local body of believers is normal and good; the New Testament takes it for granted. But that isn't the same as joining a denomination. A local group of Christians answers to Christ and His word. A denomination lays a name, a creed, and a structure on top of that. You can have the first without the second. We're an independent congregation with no headquarters or denomination over us, so what we can offer you isn't membership in an organization; it's a family of Christians trying to belong to Jesus and nothing else.
Wait — isn't “non-denominational” just its own denomination?
It's a fair question, and we'd rather answer it than dodge it. Every group of people who meets regularly needs some way to decide when to gather, who will teach, and how to care for one another — that's just what it means to be a functioning congregation, and it's not unique to denominations. The Book of Acts and the epistles in the New Testament both assume local churches had elders and deacons and a basic order to their life together (Acts 14:23; Titus 1:5).
The real dividing line isn't organization; it's authority. A denomination is a group that answers to something beyond Scripture — a creed, a catechism, a headquarters, or a governing body that can bind the conscience of its members on matters the Bible doesn't settle. A New Testament congregation, by contrast, tries to answer to Scripture alone, holding every practice and teaching up against the Bible rather than a human-made standard. We don't get that perfectly — no group of people does — but perfection isn't the claim. The aim is simply to keep Scripture as the last word, and to stay correctable by it.
Said with respect
None of this is a jab at people in denominations, many of whom love the Lord deeply and are working hard to follow Him. We're not here to win an argument or to judge our neighbors. We only want to point out something simpler than most people assume: you can be a Christian, and nothing but a Christian.
Come and see for yourself
If you've carried the assumption that following Jesus means picking a denomination, it's worth testing that against the Bible for yourself. Read the book of Acts and watch how people actually became Christians. Take your time, bring every question you have, and bring your denomination's catechism too if you want — we're happy to work through it together. That's the kind of open, unhurried study we love to do with people here at Christians in Honesdale.
Schedule a Bible study — in person or online, no pressure, all your questions welcome.
You can also read more about who we are or come visit us on a Sunday.
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