The short answer
You answer to HaShem directly; no structure mediates that for you. Community matters, but the account is yours, and an institution is not the same thing as the body.
The full answer
You answer to God directly. No building, leader, or organization stands between you and Him, or carries your responsibility for you.
That does not mean going it alone. The life of faith is meant to be lived alongside other people. But gathering with others is not the same as belonging to an institution, and being a member of an organization is not the same as being part of the living body of believers. Read for yourself, walk it out for yourself, and find others who are doing the same. Community, yes. A structure you answer to in God's place, no.
Passages this rests on
- Hebrews 10:24-25
- Matthew 18:20
- Acts 2:42
- Acts 2:46
- Malachi 3:16
- Proverbs 27:17
- 1 Peter 2:9
- Romans 14:4
Essays that go further
Wisdom
The Community You Cannot Build
Journal
Christianity Is the System
Scripture