One of the things I love most about being a Congregationalist southern Baptist is the extreme rejection of church hierarchy. I believe church is a valuable resource for study, sharing and growing in faith, building community, and evangelism, however I do not see it as an essential requirement for salvation. The church is all believers, not a cabal who have any earthly powers over spiritual matters. I've always found the idea that a church of men somehow has the power to control an individual believer's personal relationship with God, or even damn them, is idiotic and repugnant to actual Christianity. So that makes us radically different that diet catholic denominations like Episcopalians.
This. This This. Bolded is very important. No one individual or Church can control all theological because man is fallible. No one in infallible.
