Ellen MacArthur wrote:
"Thom Stewart" wrote
I wonder if anyone can tell us when, how, and where the Christian Church
came into being?

That's an easy one to answer. It's explained in Matthew 16 verses 13-19.

13 And Jesus came into the region of Cesarea Philippi: and he asked his disciples:
who do people say that the Son of man is?
14 But they said: Some John the Baptist, some Elias, and others Jeremias, or one
of the prophets.
15 Jesus said to them: But who do you say I am?
16 Simon Peter answered and said: You are Christ, the Son of the living God.
17 And Jesus answering, said to him: Blessed are you, Simon son of Jona, because
flesh and blood have not revealed this to you, but my Father who is in heaven.
18 And I say to you: That you are Peter; and upon this rock I will build my church,
and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.
19 And I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven. And whatsoever you shall
bind upon earth, it shall be bound also in heaven: and whatsoever you shall loose
upon earth, it shall be loosed also in heaven.

Now, the Catholics use verse 18 as the start of the Catholic church. But, we
Protestants disagree with the Catholics. The Catholics think Jesus said Peter was
the rock on which the church was to be built but we believe Jesus was not talking
about Peter as the rock but rather the faith that Peter demonstrated. Upon this
demonstration of faith I will build my church. That's the beginning of Christianity.

Actually, the "rock" was an obvious pun on Peter's name, since the
Greek word for rock is "petros." And since Peter's real name is
Simon, it may be that his nickname was "Rocky."

Also, the word "church" only shows up in the Gospels here and in
chapter 18 in a discussion of how to resolve disputes. Its almost as
if Matthew, writing this 40 years later, knew that there would be a
church, and that Peter would be a major force in it.