Into the Wardrobe

Coming strictly from the Protestant perspective.

The real question here is not whether church is mandatory or not, because that is not the way it works. Church is not mandatory because it is an "effect". The mandatory "cause" is accepting Christ. Christ first, Church second.

The real question is not "is church mandatory", but rather how do we define church. The early church was very different than what we have today, so I think the modern interpretations of it are not the only ones that are acceptable. The big factor for me is community. As long as you are connecting with others believers engaging in the Word, and reaching out to the non-Christian community, the rest falls on the grounds of different types of style. Look at the fruit of the person saying "I am a Christian, but I do not attend Church", are there actions, and is their heart, showing the Fruit of the Spirit? This should be a big indicator.