Jesus said: "Where ever two or three of you are gathered in my name, there am I in the midst."
What? Not many, outdoors, without a Broadman published Church covenant, without cyberspace--not my Church...
"In My Name" is the pivotal qualifier. By whose authority do we do these things? There is a lot of counterfeit church out there.
The Book of Acts certainly indicates a sending out from an authorized local body being led by The Spirit, The Holy, Who immersed the first NT Church located in Jerusalem.(The one Jesus gathered from the shores of Galilee: "Come, follow Me, I will make you fishers of men..." There is a certain vested authority which can only be transferred by vested authority. Mt. 16, and 28 (Jesus' authority) was given to the First Church which passed it to the Second Church and so on. This does not mean there are strings attached from the tenth to the first. Each assembly is autonomous, sovereign, giving account to Jesus, the only authorized vicar.
The problem comes in when we try to vest the authority in men, regenerated or not.
The concept of universal church has led many to a universal bishop and state sponsored religion--early in church history. Somebody apostasized and continues to be such. Reformed apostasy is still apostasy--reformed. It matters not how many reformations are implemented. The Bride of Christ has not apostasized--she cannot--led by The Holy Spirit and kept by Jesus--as promised.
Even so, come Lord Jesus.
Bro. James