A fisherman in Texas who’s looking for a catch in the Red River must be very careful. The entire river is in Oklahoma. The river forms the border between the two states, but the border is the Texas bank rather than the river’s center line.

If he fishes from land, he’s fine. As soon as he wades out or hops into a boat to fish, he needs an Oklahoma fishing license. Welcome to the US where every state is an autonomous region!

Congregations of the Lord’s church are designed to be autonomous. With elders as leaders and deacons serving in various ministries, the church does not answer to a national or international governing body. This is the example we see in the New Testament (I Peter 5:1-3; Acts 14:23).

One problem with congregational autonomy is that we can easily slip into isolation. The recent pandemic showed just how easy it is for churches to lose contact with each other. We must take conscious steps to avoid losing touch with our sister congregations.

The churches of the New Testament stayed connected through communication, cooperation, and conviction. Let’s consider all three.

• Communication: The New Testament we hold in our hands today is the collected writings of those who wanted to make sure the message of the gospel was communicated. Through letters, figures like Paul and Peter made efforts to ensure the churches were not only healthy but also connected to all of the other individual churches. When Paul sends his letter to Colossae, he says “And when this letter has been read among you, have it also read in the church of the Laodiceans; and see that you also read the letter from Laodicea” (Colossians 4:16, ESV). Communication is a breeze today, but we still have to make the effort to use amazing tools like social media to keep autonomous congregations connected.
• Cooperation: I can think of several ministries that serve our area that would not be possible without the churches coming together to make things happen. Paul was so happy to be bringing the monetary support he had collected from the cooperative efforts of Gentile churches on the Greek peninsula to the churches in need in Jerusalem. He writes, “By their approval of this service, they will glorify God because of your submission that comes from your confession of the gospel of Christ, and the generosity of your contribution for them and for all others” (II Corinthians 9:13, ESV). Paul knew that the generosity and cooperation of the churches would strengthen both the givers and the receivers.
• Conviction: In the early days of the church, teaching and edification was a shared enterprise. Men would travel the Roman roads from town to town and from congregation to congregation. Churches would welcome these teachers and weigh their words against scripture (Acts 17:11; I Thessalonians 5:21). Teaching is still a crucial way for churches to maintain a bond with each other as we hold the shared conviction of the gospel. We can be encouraged as we fellowship with those who share a firm commitment to the same teachings that guide our lives.

What a blessing it is to be encouraged by the connections shared between congregations! Let’s work to maintain the bonds of shared lives, shared ministry, and shared conviction.

God is at work among His congregations wherever they are planted. Instead of drifting into the doldrums of isolation, let us press forward in true fellowship.