Wes touched on one important aspect that a lot of "lone ranger" Christians don't really think about: the means of grace. I don't see baptism and the Lord's Supper, to say nothing of preaching and teaching, as being easily available to those who are not in a local church body.

And as others have also indicated, accountability and church discipline are also part of belonging to a local church, to say nothing of what I would hope would be the accompanying joys of fellowship and community with other believers.

Theo