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The issue of whether there is just one true church is confusing and a concern to many. But "God is not the author of confusion" (1 Cor. 14:33). Thus, we must look to the Scriptures to see if there is a reasonable answer for the above question.
First, anyone who admits that their church is a denomination either does not know what a denomination is or does not know what the Bible teaches about the church. Jesus promised to build HIS church, which He did (Matt. 16:18, Acts 2:47). It is the one body of Christ, also referred to as the church (Eph. 1:22, 23; 4:4, 12). And it remains true that "Except the LORD build the house, they labour in vain that build it: except the LORD keep the city, the watchman waketh but in vain." This tells thinking people that churches started by men are of no profit. Every person should endeavor to learn what to do to be saved and to be added to Christ's church (Acts 2:36-38, 41, 47). Christ prayed for His disciples to be united "so that the world might believe" (John 17:20-21), and the apostle Paul condemned division and the party spirit (1 Cor. 1:10-13).
Before we can give a definitive answer to the above question it would be helpful to fully define what a denomination is. Note the following:
Wikipedia: "A Christian denomination is a generic term for a distinct religious body identified by traits such as a common name, structure, leadership and doctrine."
Dictionary.com: "a group having a distinctive interpretation of a religious faith and usually its own organization."
GotQuestions.org: "In a religious context, the word denomination is often defined as 'a recognized autonomous branch of the Christian church.'"
"A denomination is a church organization that exercises some sort of authority over the local churches that comprise it."
The Free Dictionary: "Those who accept and practice a particular religious belief: church, communion, faith, persuasion, sect."
Wikipedia: "A sect is a subgroup of a religious, political, or philosophical belief system, usually an offshoot of a larger group. Although the term was originally a classification for religious separated groups, it can now refer to any organization that breaks away from a larger one to follow a different set of rules and principles."
www.differencebetween.net: "Sects still have much in common with their original religious beliefs; however, some fundamental differences in the rules and principles have allowed them to deviate from of the original creed. The word 'Denomination' identifies a recognized religious group with its own distinctive faith, or set of beliefs."
In view of the teachings of the passages noted above and the facts pertaining to the pertinent terms, it is apparent that the Lord's church is not denominated. Thus, efforts to justify denominationalism are futile. Some say denominations are "branches of the Lord's church." However, there is no scriptural support for that notion. A reading of John 15:4-7 reveals that “branches” are individuals, not groups, denominations, or sects. The Greek word hairesis is translated “sect” five times but "heresy" four times in the KJV. The word is never used in a good sense in the Bible. It is classified with works of the flesh in Galatians chapter 5 and is always used in an uncomplimentary way.
All the different sectarian names, many of which glorify men rather than God, contribute to confusion. However, let's just look back in time to the first century. Christians were under great persecution, which resulted in their being scattered around the world as they carried out the "great commission" (Matt. 28:16-20). They preached Christ, and those who heard and obeyed were saved (Acts 2:36-47) and simply became Christians (Acts 11:26). There were no choices as to what group to join ("join the church of your choice" is a familiar saying); thus, there was no confusion as to who was telling the truth.
There is no basis for a denomination to claim to be the one true church that we read about in the New Testament. However, it is certainly possible to be a part of Christ's church. Yet this does not explain what named body to look for and be a part of. For further study of this matter (regarding the name[s]), I recommend following the links below:
https://gewatkins.net/descriptive-names-of-the-church/
https://www.totalhealth.bz/spiritual-health-true-church.htm
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