[AnthonyB]

This is a big question...especially for someone from my faith tradition. We set out to re-unify the church around the NT alone, drop the creeds and traditons then go back to the bible and everyone could be one church. Of course the question is who gets to decide what the bible means. We set out membership of the church as one confession "Jesus is Lord" and one act "baptism".

I truly believe that Jesus and the NT clearly intends their to be one body that is clearly identified as one church. Clearly the christian church is not that and that IMHO is clearly a sin. However their are significant difference between churches, which many hold as essential doctrines. It would be equally as sinfully to demand someone gives up what they believe is crucial doctrine. I think we all have to prayerfully and carefully consider what really is essential doctrine and practice for christians.

However the question that I have is what would one church be like, how would we form it and just what would it mean to local congregations? IMHO it has to be something that God brings about and not merely an initiative of men. What form it takes and how it forms may well surprise us all.

I do think we have to distinguish between people who attend churches that have the essentials of the message and practice right, and those that have some of the gospel but have it mingled with wrong teaching and practice. Some will saved with the help of thier church and some savced almost despite their church.

I know something that would likely lead to the creation of one church again. Severe persecution of all christians. If we are all facing death for our faith in Jesus, at that point we may care somewhat less for finer points of doctrinal difference and reach out in the common bond of our faith in Jesus.