The visible church consists of all those who profess the true religion and their children. The various denominations or churches are more or less pure churches as the Word of God is faithfully preached, the sacraments properly administered, public worship properly performed, and discipline properly maintained. No church is perfect, and all are mixed with error to some extent; however, some have so departed from the faith, and have confirmed that departure in their highest judicatories, that they have become officially and judicially apostate, and can no longer be recognized as true churches. We recognize as true churches of Christ those churches which in their creed and practice hold fast to the historic Christian faith, which require for admittance what the Scriptures require for salvation and which subordinate their authority to that of the Word of God. We declare ourselves to be a branch of the true church, and are willing to hold fellowship with all other such branches of the church.
Christians are commanded by Scripture to belong to the visible church, and thus to one of its branches. However, it is a sin to belong to a church which is officially and judicially apostate. This would require the recognition of, submission to, and support for a false gospel. Likewise, true churches of Christ cannot recognize or fellowship with such apostate churches. To do so would be to deny the exclusive truth of the gospel. True churches and their members should reach believing members of apostate churches and seek to convince them, in obedience to Christ, to separate from those churches and to join true churches.
It is proper and expedient for true churches to join together in various relations to express their spiritual unity and for cooperation and mutual benefit. This may be done by forming organizations or agencies to which churches belong, or by direct ties of fraternal relations. In entering into these relations churches retain their distinctive beliefs and practices while still recognizing the fundamental basis of unity of the entire visible church. Because this underlying unity is assumed, it would be sinful for a true church to enter into such relations with an apostate church.
Relations between even true churches are improper if the distinctive beliefs of either church are violated or compromised by the terms of the relation, since it is sinful to go against one's conscience, even in the interests of Christian unity. Relations with true churches which themselves have relations with apostate churches, either directly or through membership in ecclesiastical organizations or agencies, are improper, since our separation from those apostate churches would be compromised. Otherwise, relations with true churches fall in the realm of expediency, and no barriers necessarily prevent such relations.
http://olympiabp.blogspot.com/2015/11/short-statement-on-ecclesiastical.html
Put the internet to work for you.
