Church (Universal Body)

The Church is the Universal (or Catholic, derived via Latin "catholicus", from the ancient Greek adjective "καθολικός") Body of believers. It refers to a non-physical union between all who confess that Jesus is the Messiah and that Jesus is God.

The visible Church, while imperfect and subject to corruption, is the place where God’s people gather under the ministry of the word to worship, edify one another, and carry out the Great Commission. It is not based on human tradition or authority, but on the teachings of Scripture alone. The invisible universal Church, on the other hand, consists of all those whom God has predestined to salvation, true believers, known only to God. The visible and invisible churches are united in the common confession of Christ, but the invisible Church exists in its fullness only in the eternal kingdom of God.

The "Catholic Church" is popularly used to refer specifically to the Roman Catholic Church, though this is misleading as many so-called Apostolic Church organisations, such as the Eastern Orthodox Churches and the Anglican Church use the term "Catholic". Protestant Churches claim the term too, using it to refer to all believers, no matter their denomination or organisation.