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A Letter on Denominations and the Holy Spirit

Dear Peter and Stoa members,

Thank you for asking me to share some thoughts on Christian denominations for our upcoming discussion.

Resources for Denominational Deep Dives​

If you want to nerd out on different breakdowns of what various denominations believe, here are some good starting points:

For an incredibly long but still helpful piece that covers church history and why schisms happened:

I think it's all really relevant and helpful to investigate this stuff for a bit. That said, if you're curious to dive into how I think about denominations and my opinion on the right way to think about them, keep reading.

The Question Behind the Question​

When people ask about denominations, they're usually asking "which one is right?" But I think the more fundamental question is: Does this denomination's worldview map to reality?

And more fundamentally than that: What is the right worldview outside of the constraints of assuming you have to pick a denomination?

On the note of worldview development, I've been building out this Faith Walk OS open-source repository that you're reading this letter through (both to be transparent about my views for others and for my own utility).

For an overview of my worldview, see my Christian Ontology Executive Summary, which lays out the foundations of how I understand God, reality, and our place in it. And it contains a lot of links to detailed pieces I've written related to Christian ontology.

Since I've literally open-sourced all my thoughts on Christianity, I asked AI to analyze the entire repository and summarize what I believe. Here's what it found:

"Gary represents a post-denominational, Spirit-empowered Christianity that combines:

  • Orthodox Trinitarian theology
  • Pentecostal emphasis on spiritual gifts and miracles
  • Reformed emphasis on biblical authority
  • Holiness movement focus on radical obedience
  • Contemporary concern for cultural engagement

His approach is fundamentally eclectic but orthodox, drawing from various Christian traditions while maintaining core biblical convictions. Rather than fitting within existing denominational boundaries, Gary envisions new forms of Christian community organized around spiritual commitment rather than institutional affiliation.

This makes him difficult to categorize denominationally because he intentionally transcends such categories while remaining firmly within historic Christian orthodoxy on essential doctrines."

This worldview has come from triangulating over 4.5 years: intensely thinking about God, experiencing the supernatural, having literally advised the Catholic Church in Rome, and being good friends with people across denominational lines.

What's funny about reading this AI summary is that I never use these words to describe myself (e.g. "post-denominational", "Spirit-powered", "electic but orthodox"), but I would say this is pretty spot on.

"Spirit-empowered" is an interesting label, because it accurately highlights how much I've come to value my living relationship with God through the Holy Spirit.

Most Christians I've met greatly diminish the importance of the Holy Spirit.

The Holy Spirit is part of the Godhead, gives us daily guidance, and serves as a barometer of whether you're living life in right relationship with Him and reality.

I feel the Holy Spirit's nudging daily. My mentors experience this. Their mentors experienced this. Signs, wonders, and miracles (including diseases cured, limbs growing, people raised from the dead) are part of my theology because they're part of what I understand to be reality.

The Holy Spirit is described in Scripture as the Comforter, the Spirit of Truth, a daily guide, and more. He's the barometer for whether you're doing things right and provides direct instruction.

I understand this sounds absurd if you haven't experienced deep communion with the Holy Spirit (which requires Holy Spirit baptism through someone anointed by God). But it is the truth, and I'm called to communicate truth.

Within denominations, there are endless debates, including about the Holy Spirit's relevance. To me, He is shockingly relevant. For anyone truly in obedience to God, the Holy Spirit becomes increasingly comfortable dwelling within that person as His temple, guiding them on exactly what they must do to advance God's kingdom.

Notice I haven't mentioned:

  • Denomination names
  • Church buildings
  • Popes or hierarchies

To be clear: I believe God has His hands in every major denomination throughout history, and continues to use these denominations (including the Catholic and Orthodox churches) to carry out His will. These are valid outposts of Christ's church, each preserving important thinking and tradition that relates to being a disciple of Christ.

I've come to deeply appreciate what the Catholic Church in particular offers: centuries of theological scholarship, religious orders dedicated to research and service, and leadership that speaks to billions about faith in our modern world. When Pope Leo tweets about ethical AI and it sparks global conversation, that's the church engaging with contemporary challenges. The Orthodox tradition similarly preserves ancient wisdom that many find nourishing for their faith.

My concern isn't with these institutions themselves, but with what can happen when any denominational structure becomes a substitute for direct communion with the Holy Spirit rather than a support for it. The Holy Spirit is the active communicator of the triune God in our time, and institutional loyalty should never replace that personal relationship. (I explore this danger in depth in my piece on Divine Sovereignty and Human Free Will, where I discuss how institutional Christianity can lead to "outsourcing your stage direction" to human hierarchies rather than the Holy Spirit.)

When any denomination (regardless of tradition) loses focus on its primary mission:

  • Not welcoming the Holy Spirit's movement
  • Not teaching Scripture faithfully
  • Not helping people become dwelling places for the Holy Spirit
  • Being guided primarily by worldly concerns
  • Focusing on institutional preservation over Kingdom advancement

...then it risks becoming an obstacle rather than an aid to faith. But I want to be clear: I see many Catholics and Orthodox believers who are deeply Spirit-filled, biblically grounded, and advancing God's kingdom powerfully. The issue isn't the denomination itself but whether it's helping or hindering someone's walk with Christ.

The Future of Christianity​

I believe Christianity will be much more unchained from institutions as time goes on. The future looks more like individuals divinely coordinating through individual obedience to the Holy Spirit. This allows us to navigate the infinite and growing complexity of our reality. We need the Holy Spirit to avoid descending into chaos.

When people think of church, they imagine buildings with single pastors speaking on Sundays. I suspect God in this age of the internet wants a distributed body of Christ, full of individuals who cluster in various ways (sometimes in edifices that meet on Sundays, but always with a deep direct relationship with God, not just loyalty to a denominational institution).

The way people categorize themselves will keep changing. The "non-denominational" movement is growing, and there will be continued innovation in how people identify themselves.

The Need for Discipleship Science​

Now, I want to be clear: I'm not advising people to immediately abandon existing structures. Community scaffolding is incredibly important. Not everyone has had 4.5 years to triangulate their faith or access supernatural experiences. Denominations can serve as "training wheels" for faith. They've helped countless people begin their walk with God.

But here's what I think we desperately need: a science of discipleship. An evidence-based approach to understanding what actually creates obedient disciples. What structures genuinely help people grow in their relationship with God? What practices consistently produce spiritual fruit? What environments allow the Holy Spirit to move freely?

We need rigorous study of what allows someone to become an obedient disciple, combined with the spiritual sensitivity to adapt support structures to each person's unique calling. This would let us keep innovating on our institutional structures rather than either blindly preserving them or recklessly abandoning them.

Imagine if we approached discipleship with the same rigor we apply to other fields: tracking outcomes, testing approaches, learning what works. Not to mechanize faith, but to better understand how to build a stronger, more obedient, and more effective body of Christ. We could preserve what's genuinely helpful from denominational traditions while pruning what has ossified (think of the Pharisees in Jesus' time or modern scandals that plague institutions more focused on self-preservation than Kingdom advancement).

A Final Note​

I recognize that my own journey (piecing together what makes sense from various traditions rather than following a single denominational path) might seem unconventional or even offensive to some.

I understand and respect why people are gravitating toward Catholic and Orthodox traditions. It's not just nostalgia: these institutions offer rich spiritual formation, time-tested wisdom, and community support that many find essential for their faith journey. These traditions continue to produce bright exemplars of Christian faith today.

I'd (perhaps obviously) rather see someone become Catholic or Orthodox than remain atheist. These are valid paths to Christ, and for many, they provide exactly the structure and tradition needed to grow in faith. The more time I spend with devout Catholics and Orthodox believers, the more I see how God is working powerfully through these traditions.

What I sense God calling me to isn't pushing people away from these institutions, but rather encouraging all of us (Catholic, Orthodox, Protestant, non-denominational) to ensure we're maintaining that living relationship with the Holy Spirit alongside our institutional commitments. We're siblings in Christ, not competitors. While we might debate theological nuances, we share far more in common than what divides us, especially when facing a world that increasingly rejects Christ altogether.

Ultimately, you can disagree with how I approach my faith walk, but I hope we can agree that doing what God wants us to do is of the utmost importance.

If the Holy Spirit is calling you to become a Catholic priest, that is exactly what you should be doing. If He's calling you to Orthodox monasticism, pursue it wholeheartedly. If He's calling you to Protestant ministry or trans-denominational work, follow that path with conviction.

The beauty is that we can all contribute to the Kingdom from our different traditions. Catholics preserve theological depth and global witness. Orthodox maintain mystical traditions and ancient liturgy. Protestants bring evangelical zeal and scriptural focus. Charismatics emphasize the Spirit's power and gifts. Rather than seeing these as competing visions, I increasingly see them as complementary strengths in Christ's body.

So what is your calling? And how can you answer it within or beyond denominational structures? That is what matters most. Let's temper the sibling rivalries when there are real threats to faith itself. Let's share our different gifts (whether institutional wisdom, mystical practice, biblical scholarship, or miraculous testimony) as open-source resources for all of Christ's community.

Looking forward to our discussion on the 24th, where we can explore how this spiritual framework relates to the discussion on the three types of grand narratives fighting for humanity's soul. My emphasis on obedience to God was central to the piece I wrote with Jordan (see our essay), and I'm happy to elaborate on how I see obedience. I'm sure Jordan will be as well, as he'll be in attendance.

Blessings, Gary

P.S. - For context on my journey from atheism to faith, see Why I Follow Christ, which details the overwhelming evidence (philosophical, historical, experiential, and mathematical) that compelled me to follow Christ as the Logos who makes reality coherent. My engineering background demanded proof, and God provided it abundantly.