The Church is the Body of Christ which includes all the saved or redeemed people of all time. The Church includes male and female believers of all ages from every tribe, tongue, people, and nation.
An individual New Testament church of the Lord Jesus Christ is a local congregation of baptized believers. Each congregation operates under the Lordship of Christ and each member is responsible and accountable to Christ as Lord. Members pursue obedience to Jesus’ commands to love God first, love others as themselves, and share the Gospel. Members meet regularly to worship, hear the Word of God, practice baptism and communion, fellowship, and encourage one another. While both men and women are gifted for service in a church, the office of pastor is limited to men as qualified by New Testament Scripture.
Here are some things the Bible says about the Church:
Matthew 16:15-19; 18:15-20; Acts 2:41-42,47; 5:11-14; 6:3-6; 13:1-3; 14:23,27; 15:1-30; 16:5; 20:28; Romans 1:7; 1 Corinthians 1:2; 3:16; 5:4-5; 7:17; 9:13-14; 12; Ephesians 1:22-23; 2:19-22; 3:8-11,21; 5:22-32; Philippians 1:1; Colossians 1:18; 1 Timothy 2:9-14; 3:1-15; 4:14; Hebrews 11:39-40; 1 Peter 5:1-4; Revelation 2-3; 21:2-3.