Last week I asked the question “If your church only did one thing really well, what would you want that thing to be?” (You can check out that post here.) There were some great (even passionate) responses.
Today I want to flip that question on its head. If your church did everything great, except for one thing, and missing the mark on that one thing would actually cause you to leave your church, what would that one thing be? Would poor worship make you leave? Lousy hospitality? Rotten preaching?
It must be a pretty big deal to you if everything else is done really well. What is it?
OK go.
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Good morning Lee,not sure if you will understand this,I’ll share it anyway.I no longer attend a local church,and have not for years.Never driven away,it was a personal choice.Once armed with the truth the world seemed to be the place to share Jesus Christ,and all of the Word of God.
Poor teaching, got to be. Inaccurately teaching from God’s word – doesn’t matter what else is amazing; that would cause me to go.
In my personal experience I left a church because of the doctrine that was consistently being taught. In this case it was prosperity theology which was being taught which makes for some good powerful speeches in the pulpit but does not necessarily reflect what the Bible says. The elders did not have the fortitude nor biblical knowledge to confront the senior pastor on his teachings nor did the senior pastor listen when taken aside by the youth pastor. The senior pastor having seen this youth pastor as a threat slowly reduced his role through church politics and the youth pastor eventually resigned. But God works in amazing ways and I have found a great sound doctrine teaching church where my wife and I can attend while serving on the worship team. Though our hearts still go out to the church especially the young men and women there that we helped through our ministry while we were there.
I have to agree that inaccurate teaching is a very good reason to leave. A teaching pastor that does not promote good exegesis and hermeneutics on the scriptures will result in misled churches- dangerous to the body as a whole! If scripture isn’t understood by the leadership, then the church can be directed into areas that it does not belong. A plethora of examples abound in today’s churches, with various causes and boycotts.
In accordance with inaccurate teaching, the other factor that would force me to leave is a pastor-centric church. If a church cannot survive without its lead pastor, then God truly is not the focus, which means I need to find another group to gather to. Churches *must* allow for discipleship of its congregation, and that includes allowing preaching from amongst the body, not only from the pastor. It is far too tempting for a pastor to become ego-driven, instead of spirit-driven.
Hello again Lee,I’ve been wrestling with the question posed and I remember young Mike Warnke saying, “if you find, and join the perfect church(assembly,congregation fellowship etc.)it won’t be perfect anymore!” My parenthesis.As a former member of a Baptist church,youth group leader and Sunday school superintendant, I was able to observe closely from within, every function pertaining to it’s existance.Like so many other denominations tradition was the cornerstone even though Jesus was preached!Sad to say when I left the church it disintegrated,closed and was sold.
If the church was being led by the pastor and not Jesus.
Hi Lee! Something that would lead me out of a church is wrong or poor Bible teaching, specially the kind that leads to prejudice against certain groups of peopole. Religiosity makes me run away.
Definately unsound doctrine. I would leave a church if what was being preached was not biblically accurate. I can deal with “mediocre” music as long as the teaching is sound and gospel centered I think things will fall into place.
Make disciples hands down.
Lol…This response (making disciples) was stuck in my phone since your last post and that’s where it was supposed to be posted. What would cause me to leave would be false teaching. I would be gone in a heartbeat.
Too funny! I’ve done that with text messages before.
Sadly, I fear that the answer to my question here would ring true for the congregation I’m currently apart of.
I fearfully air my response here, knowing that naming this reality is a very sobering moment for me:
The one thing that’d make me leave would be to make the biggest deal about Jesus. If Jesus seems to take second fiddle to your music or your ministries or your preacher or your small groups, I can’t sign up for it.
If you’re inefficient, hypocritical and unwelcoming, but you make a huge deal about jesus. If your eyes well up when you talk about Christ, I’m there. If not, i’m gonna have a hard time.
When the HOLY SPIRIT fell in Acts chapter 2, He made the 120 disciples speak not just in Hebrew but in the languages of the world, “in other tongues”. This is the ultimate proof of the ETHNIC INTEREST of the Holy Spirit: all languages, all the world, all peoples, all tribes and all nations… It connects seamlessly with the Great Commission of Jesus and provides both, purpose and power.
I’ve always been Leary of gifts and tounges but the way the last post made me feel was that Jesus told His disciples to go out to all corners of the Earth with the gospel, love everybody and committ yourselves to others no matter what with prayer and love !! My great Pastor teaches this thing most of all .. This is why I love attending where I do 🙂