The term 'church' provides a differentiation which shouldn't be there. Better translated as 'assembly' or 'congregation', or 'discipleship'... Then re-read the OT, and you will be surprised how long the 'Church' has been around.
But yes, you are right - the churches were congregational in governance... Something pretty close to how the SBA govern themselves, I would suppose.
lol
I’m very independent. The idea that “church” means anything more than an assembly or congregation is pretty foreign to me.