Your inability to address Colossians 1:18 tells the tale.
Christ is a beginning, i.e. the first in a series, the first born from the dead. Here we are talking sequence. For someone to throw out "a beginning" or start of something, and change firstborn into preeminent is without merit. The fact that He is the first one born from the dead is what provides His preeminence in church matters.
Colossians 1:18 does not say Christ is the beginning of the church. It says He is the head or top entity of the church, being the first one born from the dead, which provides His preeminence, as all the rest of us follow Him in regeneration.
Good grief. Here is the entire paragraph for context. Try to find the meaning of preeminence in the context.
12 ¶ Giving thanks unto the Father, which hath made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light: 13 Who hath delivered us from the power of
darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son: 14 In whom we
have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins: 15 Who is the
image of the invisible God, the firstborn of every creature: 16 For by him were all
things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him: 17 And he is before all things, and by him all things
consist. 18 And he is the head of the body, the church: who is the beginning, the
firstborn from the dead; that in all things he might have the preeminence. 19 For it
pleased the Father that in him should all fulness dwell; 20 And, having made peace
through the blood of his cross, by him to reconcile all things unto himself; by him, I say, whether they be things in earth, or things in heaven. 21 And you, that were
sometime alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now hath he reconciled 22 In the body of his flesh through death, to present you holy and
unblameable and unreproveable in his sight: 23 If ye continue in the faith
grounded and settled, and be not moved away from the hope of the gospel, which ye have heard, and which was preached to every creature which is under heaven; whereof I Paul am made a minister; 24 Who now rejoice in my sufferings for you,
and fill up that which is behind of the afflictions of Christ in my flesh for his body’s sake, which is the church: 25 Whereof I am made a minister, according to the
dispensation of God which is given to me for you, to fulfil the word of God; 26
Even the mystery which hath been hid from ages and from generations, but now is made manifest to his saints: 27 To whom God would make known what is the
riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you, the hope of glory: 28 Whom we preach, warning every man, and teaching every man
in all wisdom; that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus: 29
Whereunto I also labour, striving according to his working, which worketh in me mightily.
Compare these two passages;
Ps 2:7 I will declare the decree: the LORD hath said unto me, Thou art my Son; this day have I begotten thee.
Ac 13:33 God hath fulfilled the same unto us their children, in that he hath raised up Jesus again; as it is also written in the second psalm, Thou art my Son, this day have I begotten thee.
34 And as concerning that he raised him up from the dead, now no more to return to corruption, he said on this wise, I will give you the sure mercies of David.
35 Wherefore he saith also in another psalm, Thou shalt not suffer thine Holy One to see corruption.
This comparison clearly teaches that the resurrection of Jesus Christ was a spiritual birth, the first of it's kind, and Paul writes Col 1:18 and says his resurrection was the beginning of his church. If that is not enough, Luke affirms it here when the gentiles first began to be saved in 40 AD.
Ac 11:14 Who shall tell thee words, whereby thou and all thy house shall be saved.
15 And as I began to speak, the Holy Ghost fell on them, as on us at the beginning.
The beginning of the church was in Acts 2 when they began receiving the Holy Ghost into their spiritually dead bodies and subsequently were made alive by his presence, seeing as how he, the Spirit, is life.
.Ac 2:47 Praising God, and having favour with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily such as should be saved.