I don't know why it is. I suppose it could be a "grew up atheist" thing, or a "grew up a yankee" thing, but I'm not wired to be a "
come to my church" or it's the highway sorta guy. In fact, I don't even begin to get it.
From the very beginning, when I first decided that I wanted to pursue this Jesus, I was so excited to learn the Bible that I plugged into - not one church, but FOUR - and 3 campus ministries on top of that. I got saved and immediately became a Wesle-Charis-Metho-Lutha-Bapti-Costal (these days I think I'm more of a Pres-Charis-by-Vineya-terian at heart), and when I found myself talking about Jesus with a non-believer, or first meeting a new believer who wasn't plugged in, I always offered them a smorgasbord of available options.
"What are some of your personal convictions?" I would ask. If they were off on some of what I was convinced were essentials, we would discuss it, but if the issues were non-essentials, I would think of which of the Bible-believing churches I knew of would be the most-likely place that they would feel at home, plug in, connect to the community there, and serve. I didn't care a lick whether or not it was "my church". Still don't.
Don't get me wrong - I LOVE MY CHURCH. It's not perfect - nor do I own it, so I suppose it's not actually "mine" - but I stand behind their - rather "OUR" ministry, our methods, and the people I find myself in community with there, and I have absolutely no serious qualms with inviting someone to visit with us. However, it's not for everyone. And I have no problem with that.
So, I suppose that's the long-way of saying that I just don't get the "my church or the highway" sort of attitude - that seems to believe that anyone who's not a member of your congregation or denomination is hell-bound or at least a heretic, and even the less subtle "if you don't attend my church we can't really be friends" folks who are so incredibly committed to creating "community" that anyone who's not at least potentially looking to switch congregations soon is considered entirely outside their circle, in-spite of how much they might share in common in the area of interests and vision, and even station in life.
Have you ever encountered these mind-sets? Am I off, and are these attitudes to some degree Biblical and I'm simply "missing it"? Should my commitment to my personal community be 100%, leaving no time to invest in people from other bodies?
Personally, I am not against denominations - or having multiple, Bible-believing churches in one area, who differ on non-essentials, and have differences in style and delivery, but my heart tells me that if there is a sin of "denominationalism", it's not that they exist, or disagree, but when those within refuse to fellowship, and sharpen one-another outside their immediate circle - circling the wagons tight, and making people choose between their church, and potential friends that they might otherwise gain much, and find strength by sharing ideas, and life with. The sin of denominationalism is when it becomes more about your church, and commitment to your church, than it is about Jesus, and commitment to Him, and participation in His body - being a member first of the Universal church, and not "my church" - above all else.
I suppose that makes me a Christian who attends, and ministers with, St. Simons Community Church, rather than a St.-Simons-Community-Church-ian. Personally, I can't imagine it any other way.