When Is It Appropriate To Leave A Church?

Should I stay at a trendy but chaotically led church where I am not growing but I am asked to serve? Am I helping to perpetuate a broken system, or am I providing a voice of reason in the chaos?

Here’s the biggest factor in my mind. Is there a clearly better church that you could commit yourself to? When it comes to figuring out what church is best for you and your family, there’s a part of me that gets very practical. Practically speaking, a good church is one that is within a reasonable distance from me, and the service times are such that I can really commit myself to it. I’m going to find the best church in the area that fits that description. We’re not necessarily looking for a perfect church, but for a better church. I would not leave your church unless you knew there was a better church that you could go to.

The fact that you serve at this church is good, but I don’t think service opportunity should override the fact that it’s just not a good, healthy church on other fronts. In that case, you should probably have your eye out, your heart open, and certainly be praying that God would lead you to a better, healthier congregation.

Sometimes the Holy Spirit may want us to stay in a place to be a witness and a testimony, and to help others. At other times, for your own sake, you need to leave. Who can answer that but the Holy Spirit Himself? This is an area where there has to be some measure of discernment from the Holy Spirit. But as a matter of practical wisdom, I would say, don’t leave this church until you have found a church that you have good reason to believe will be better.

I’ve known people who have attended a church that was heretical in terms of their theology, but they knew that they were called by the Lord to stay there, to be a voice for Him and for the genuine gospel. They were part of a pseudo-Christian group, and they loved the Lord. They were genuine believers. The fruit of the Spirit was all over this couple. I asked them, “Why are you going to that church?” And they said, “It’s our mission.” So, I think somebody could potentially stay at an unhealthy church with a clear sense of mission, but there would be a lot of wisdom factors involved, such as children.