Replies

Actually, we are a church because we are followers of Christ who have joined together as a family to minister to each other and to take the message of salvation to the lost

Under what authority? Christ gave that authority (and mission) to his Apostles (Mat 18:18) and not the entire church. The Apostles were the only ones who could transfer their authority to people of their choice -- the bishops, and the bishops, in turn, to other bishops. This unbroken line of authority exists only the the Orthodox and Catholic Rites of the Universal Church.

1 Cor 12:28 clearly states that the church is not simply a collection of followers of Christ, but of people specially appointed by our Lord, and that some are "higher" than others (1 Cor 14:5).

I am asking you again, what makes your church a Church if you have no Apostolic authority? Kolkotronis correctly reminded you that not only tradition but historical perspective is paramount in understanding what the people who were alive when Jesus was around understood the Chruch to be: the Church is where the Apostle (or Apostle's successor -- a bishop) is. Our Lord made His Church -- Apostolic. Those "churches" that have no Apostolic authority are not churches by biblical definition.