The sovereignty of the local church

Each church assembly is sovereign in how it functions and is not under the control of some headquarters on the earth, nor does it need to replicate itself after other churches. The supreme authority of the local church is the Holy Spirit working through the local shepherd in the office of pastor to care for the flock that God has given him to look after.

Individual churches will have their small doctrinal differences, differences in their style of worship, and variances in how they do things, but if the Holy Spirit is present in each assembly, then these minor things will not hinder churches from working together and supporting each other with a genuine spirit of love existing between them.

Every church has its own struggles and battles, and there is no church that is perfect in every way. However, if the Lord Jesus is the absolute focus of the local assembly, then things such as jealousies, competitiveness, divisions and disfellowship between churches will eventually melt away as each assembly matures and learns to appreciate, value and support one another.