SOMETHING'S JUST NOT RIGHT…
SOMETHING'S JUST NOT RIGHT…
Many sincere disciples within the Churches of Christ have begun to sense something deeply unsettling, even if they can’t fully articulate it. They attend assemblies, listen to sermons, participate in programs, and yet feel a quiet dissonance—a spiritual unease that whispers, “Something isn’t right.” This tension is not imagined. It’s real. What they’re intuitively perceiving is that the ekklesia that once fought to restore the simplicity, purity, and distinctiveness of first-century faith has in many ways returned to the very thing it once rejected: denominationalism.
The Cycle: From Restoration to Institution
In the beginning, the Restoration Movement—of which the Church of Christ was a major expression—was born out of a desire to abandon denominational structures, creeds, hierarchies, and traditions not found in Scripture. Early pioneers like Thomas Campbell, Alexander Campbell, and Barton W. Stone pled for unity based solely on the Scriptures, insisting on calling Bible things by Bible names and doing Bible things in Bible ways.
But over time, something changed.
Instead of remaining a movement, it became a monument. Instead of being a spiritual body of believers following the Messiah, it adopted the patterns and behaviors of the very denominations it once sought to distinguish itself from.
The Millipede of Denominations
A vivid metaphor illustrates this regression: picture a millipede—its head being Roman Catholicism, its body mainline Protestantism, and its countless legs representing the tens of thousands of denominations spawned through schism, sectarianism, and doctrinal drift.
Once, the Churches of Christ stood apart, seeking to sever from this creature altogether, to follow only the Head—Messiah, not man. But now, it has become just another leg on that same millipede.
It may not have a denominational headquarters. It may not use creeds. It may claim autonomy. But the spirit of denominationalism—sectarian pride, institutionalism, entertainment-focused worship, preacher celebrity culture, and rigid tradition—has crept in subtly and pervasively.
Why Members Feel “Something’s Off”
The majority of members, though sincere and well-meaning, are largely indistinguishable from members of other denominations:
They follow the motions but lack deep conviction.
They attend faithfully but often live worldly, consumerist, or legalistic lives.
They talk of “the church” but show little fruit of true discipleship.
Many can't articulate the difference between tradition and truth, or why they believe what they do.
What’s missing is authentic transformation, spiritual urgency, and a true grasp of the Kingdom of God rather than a fixation on “our church” being “right.”
The Modern Identity Crisis
Some in the Churches of Christ wonder why their worship feels lifeless, their assemblies routine, their youth disinterested, their communities unaffected. What they’re sensing is not just a “lack of zeal,” but the consequences of institutional conformity.
They’re waking up to the fact that:
The ekklesia is not a denomination.
The Way of Messiah is not a Sunday-only religion.
The New Covenant faith is not a system of checking boxes, but a life surrendered.
Conclusion: A Call to Remember and Repent
This feeling—this spiritual discomfort—is not just dissatisfaction. It is the Spirit convicting the remnant who still have ears to hear. It is the call to repent of denominationalism, return to the simplicity of the Way, and forsake the millipede of man-made religion.
Only when the ekklesia stops trying to be “the true church” and starts being the body of Messiah again—uncluttered by tradition, programs, and institutional pride—will this tension be resolved.
Until then, many will keep wondering: “Something’s just not right.”
And they will be right.