The English word "church" was derived from an Anglo-Saxon word "circe" which means "The Lord’s House". The Greek word of the Lord’s house is "kuriakon". However, "Kuriakon" is not the Greek word found in the original manuscript which was translated into the word "church" but "ekklesia". King James in 1611, ordered his translators to translate the Greek word "ekklesia" into the word "church". Whenever we find the word "church" in the New Testament, the original Greek word in it is "ekklesia’ not kuriakon". There are only 3 instances in which King James did not translate the word ekklesia in the New Testament into the word "church" and those are Acts 19 verses 32, 39, and 41 because they do not refer to the Lord’s church. Such show that any assembly, even a public assembly can be called a church. There is one instance in which the Greek word ekklesia was translated into the word church but it does not refer to a New Testament church but to the congregation of Israel such as Acts 7:38. The Greek word "ekklesia" is a combination of two Greek words "ek" means out and "kaleo" means "to call" and ekklesia means a called out assembly. Therefore, based upon the original meaning of the word used in the Scriptures, the word "church" is a called out assembly. The translation of ekklesia in French is "iglese", in Spanish, "Iglesia" and in Tagalog, "Iglesya". By comparing Psalm 22:22 and Heb.2:12, one will find that the real meaning of the word "church" is "congregation" or assembly. Since the meaning of the Greek word ekklesia is limited to a congregation or assembly, therefore the word "church" is not a building nor does it compose of all the saved of all ages rather, it means a local visible congregation in a particular location.

     Since any assembly can be called a church, the Lord gave a distinction to His church and called it "My church", "The Lord’s church" , "Church of Christ". Oftentimes, the Apostles would simply call it "church" but they refer to the Lord’s church since the New Testament epistles were all addressed to local churches such as the church in Corinth, the church in Galatia, the church in Ephesus, etc. In order to give a distinction to the Old Testament congregation of Israel, we call it New Testament Church or a Gospel church.. To distinguish it from the many unscriptural churches today, we call it a Scriptural Church. To be distinct from the Protestants, and the anti-mission Baptists, we call it a Missionary Baptist church. Now what is a Gospel church or a New Testament church?

     A New Testament church is a local visible called out assembly of Scripturally baptized believers covenanted together for worship, fellowship and to execute the Great Commission and has the right history that can be traced back to the church that Jesus built.