What do they mean by a denomination, or for that matter, the term non-denominational?
Denominational churches are affiliated or governed by a larger group or agency located in some other area. The Southern Baptists are an example of such a church. When it begins, a church must decide if it wants to be part of a denomination or not. Being part of a denomination lends credibility to a new church. (This could be compared to going into a McDonald s restaurant and knowing what it should be like, even if it you had never eaten at that particular location before.) Denominational churches pay dues to the governing agency. In turn, the governing agency provides funds that help finance church construction and so forth. The advantage of nondenominational churches is that they are not compelled to support all the beliefs of the governing body, some of which may not follow the Bible. An example of this is the debate that took place in the United Methodist Church in August 1998, discussing whether church guidelines prohibiting same-sex marriages are legally binding. Being part of the
