I could sit here and bore you in nauseating detail about why the Church is necessary, and why it is vital to the salvation of all mankind. I could fill my dissertation with footnotes, and quotes from sources old and new. But really, that would be a colossal waste of your time and mine.
A few high-placed people have questioned the legitimacy of organized religion of late. Are they right? Or are they wrong? Look at this picture and get a clue. Wars aren't won by individuals on their own. They are won by individuals united in a common purpose and with a unifying mission. To get to this point, where these troops have crossed the "line of departure," as you see here, thousands of hours and millions of lives have been at work together to bring the fight to a foe.
Is organized religion necessary? Not when you are at peace. But when you remember that we are at war, and have been since the beginning, the question is moot. As someone I met recently would say, "Think well on't."
Semper Fidelis