I have been asked, both as a pastor and as CE&P coordinator, about the existence and legitimacy ofdenominations. This is a good topic for inquiry because it is a question about the church. Christ loves the church, his bride, and is pleased when we focus attention on the object of his redeeming love. However, he wants us to begin with his thoughts about the church. In other words, when we talk about the church, we start with what he tells us in his word because the church is a theological entity. Our theology determines our ecclesiology, not the reverse.

Our Westminster Confession of Faith reminds us, in the first chapter, that we can learn things through common grace that can help us order the church to more dearly accomplish our mission. Yet, what we learn about Gods church cannot start from a prag