We live in the age of Congregationalism. A period in Church history when believers are grouped into congregations or collectives of believers of a particular denomination. The problem with congregationalism is that is creates a small community rather than the large community that was once known as Christendom. Because many churches believe they are the true faith and reject all other believers, save for the Ecumenical Movement, this creates small communities or pockets of congregants.
Instead of being able to go from Rhineland to Rhodes in former times, and being able to enter a church and be part of community in any country, congregants are isolated to their church in their city or rural location. A sense of isolationism stems from this and as result unity and a larger sense of belonging is lost. For Catholics and Orthodox Christians, even other larger Protestant denominations like Lutherans and Anglicans experience a sense of larger community across countries; a surviving Christendom if you will. In contrast, congregationalism can be church specific; that is to say that some churches aren't even truly part of denomination, diocese, or church family. An Assemblies of God church can be independent of the Assembly and therefore not in union with all other Assemblies Churches.
Congregationalism is the new Schisma. There are complete congregations that have no ties to any outside oversight or church body. A anti-Christendom of sorts has been born; with congregations being independent of larger denominations. IF someone says they are Protestant, that is insufficient information, because it could mean they traditional, i.e. Lutheran or an isolated church with no history called Church of 95 Thesis of Reform. Congregationalism has become a new form of fragmentaling that allows communities of Christians to completely break away from a larger body; often called the fold. The dangers of this is cultism; with no oversight and no accountability, a pastor can become a pope and congregates can become crazed and duped into "drinking Kool-Aid." The other danger is an insular way of life; where the community has no connection to the outside Body of Believers and thus develops doctrines that aren't necessarily heresy, but definitely legalistic or too lenient towards sin. Because there is no oversight, there is no means to investigate the health of believers or help curb cultism and insularism.
Those who are Congregationalists may argue that if you have oversight, it can be abusive, as demonstrated for over 1500yrs by the Papacy. Abuse of power is danger with oversight, but the same danger lies within a lack of oversight; a pope can arise within a small congregation, his name is Pastor and he "hears God better than everyone else." Ideally, a church would be run in manner of the Apostolic Age, within a homes of believers and having contact with some kind of trustworthy oversight and leadership for cases of disagreement, reconciliation, and doctrinal issues.
Congregationalism has been a tool to break the Church into denominations of denominations. Instead of there being Catholic, Orthodox, Protestant, Pentecostal, Presbyterian, and more; sub-denominations take form such as Pentabyterianism and Cathodox. The problem is these fringe groups expand until there are limitless variants of the denomination. I once read an estimate that there over 3,000,000 denominations of the Church! Some of them with less than six members!
My qualm is not with freedom of religion or starting a new movement. The Reformers are a great example of innovation and the need for change in the church. However, serious change and schism are not the same thing. Preferably the solution would be a bridge of Christendom and Congregationalism. Here is what I mean, Christendom is all Christians who believed the Scriptures and Gospel, and Congregations are the churches in Christendom that differ over "gifts of the spirit: for today or not?" and other doctrinal differences. This would allow a unity and conformity, but at the same time maintain an independence and individual solidarity. Ecumenicalism seems to be a similar plan to this, but Christendom & Congregationalism does not require fealty and ignoring the differences of each denomination. The Ecumenical Movement wants unity between all churches; but this is done by avoiding the topics, doctrines, and issues that divide churches. In Christendom & Congregationalism believers would be able to unite over what they agree, but maintain the unity of their own unique beliefs among themselves; without having to hide their differences.
Ultimately, this post is a examination. Not solution to the problem. A theory is proposed, but making it happen would take God. Unity and Diversity in One is Utopia. Something that will likely not happened until Jesus Christ Returns and the New Heaven and Earth is made. Then all the rivalries, disunity, and sinful infighting will die; and we shall have unity we have sought as a body; but yet we shall still be individuals. Thus the ultimate solution is the return of the Savior. Until then we experiment and try to achieve the next best thing; which really is not even that, but an somewhat adequate placeholder tell the Prince of Peace arrives.
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