Emily Dickinson Lexicon

CHURCH, n. [Sax. circe, circ, or cyric; Scots, kirk, which retains the Saxon pronunciation; D. kerk; G. kirche; Sw. kyrckia; Dan. kirke; Gr. κυριακον, a temple of God, from κυριακος, pertaining to a Lord, or to our Lord Jesus Christ, from κυριος, a Lord; Russ. tzerkov.]

1. A house consecrated to the worship of God, among Christians; the Lord's house. This seems to be the original meaning of the word. The Greek εκκλησια, from εκκαλεω, to call out or call together, denotes an assembly or collection. But κυριακος, κυριακον, are from κυριος, Lord, a term applied by the early Christians to Jesus Christ; and the house in which they worshiped was named from that title. So κυριακα signifies church goods, bona ecclesiastica; κυριακη, sc. ἠμερα, the Lord's day, dies dominica.
2. The collective body of Christians, or of those who profess to believe in Christ, and acknowledge him to be the Savior of mankind. In this sense, the church is sometimes called, the Catholic or Universal Church. – Johnson. Encyc.
3. A particular number of Christians, united under one form of ecclesiastical government, in one creed, and using the same ritual and ceremonies; as, the English church; the Gallican church; the Presbyterian church; the Romish church; the Greek church.
4. The followers of Christ in a particular city or province; as, the church of Ephesus, or of Antioch.
5. The disciples of Christ assembled for worship in a particular place, as in a private house. Col. iv. [See No. 9.]
6. The worshipers of Jehovah, or the true God, before the advent of Christ; as, the Jewish church.
7. The body of clergy, or ecclesiastics, in distinction from the laity. Hence, ecclesiastical authority. – Encyc.
8. An assembly of sacred rulers convened in Christ's name to execute his laws. – Cruden. Brown.
9. The collective body of Christians, who have made a public profession of the Christian religion, and who are united under the same pastor; in distinction from those who belong to the same parish, or ecclesiastical society, but have made no profession of their faith.