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The above is technically true since Jesus promised to build only one church (Matt. 16:18) and the apostle Paul says there is just one body, which is the church (Eph. 4:4; Col. 1:24). But gospel preachers should be careful in their approach in teaching others what is true about the church of the Lord.
I recently read a Facebook post where someone boasted that the “Church of Christ” is the only church that can be traced back to Jerusalem on the day of Pentecost in 33 A.D. This is not a good approach to teaching. A better approach is to explain that one can read about Christ’s church in the New Testament and that a church can be established (or restored if lost) by simply following instructions: 1) for becoming a member; 2) for how it is to be organized; and 3) for the things it practices. God described this church in various ways, but He did not name it, and for good reason. We should not denominationalize the Lord's church that He built (Matt. 16:18) by insisting that the one true church is the “Church of Christ”. Anyone can use the above name, so boldly proclaiming and promoting a name not only proves nothing but more likely turns people away. Indeed, when the “Church of Christ” is mentioned many close their ears and minds because of prejudice that has been built against the “Church of Christ” by denominational teachers. The prejudice is accomplished by telling things that are not true and by also making some observations of error that SOME in the “Church of Christ Church” have taught, which they apply to all.
What matters is that a group of disciples are true and faithful members and that it follows the New Testament. Teachers can be more effective if they state that they are non-denominational or pre-denominational and simply teach what the Bible says about the organization to which the Lord adds the saved (Acts 2:47). The Lord prayed for unity so that the world might believe (John 17:20, 21), Paul condemned division and party names (1 Cor. 1:10-15) and he stated that “God is not the author of confusion but of peace….” (1 Cor. 14:33). The people of God do not need to unite with a common name, nor do we need to unit with denominations. We just need to preach the gospel and let God give the increase. If we want to see significant increase, we must not fall for the tricks of the devil.
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