In this blog, I tend to use different names when referring to particular communities. Language is important and I want to try to clarify what I mean. References may include the following:
community of faith – a gathering of people united by a particular faith. This could be of any faith tradition.
the church – the universal church of Jesus Christ, incorporating Protestant, Catholic, Orthodox, and other communities of disciples of Jesus Christ.
local church – a particular gathering of people united by a particular faith. Most often, I use this term in reference to particular congregations of Christian denominations.
United Methodist Church – the particular Christian denomination of which I am a part. (www.umc.org)
What have you found to be the most helpful name or reference for a religious organization in which you participate?
Rev. Andrew Conard 