tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3579381765450411966.post8640769502260528656..comments2023-09-27T10:17:56.087-04:00Comments on Craig's Cogitations: When To Leave Your ChurchCraighttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13224971120936180596noreply@blogger.comBlogger3125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3579381765450411966.post-68984526458505687092009-02-11T10:48:00.000-05:002009-02-11T10:48:00.000-05:00Thanks for the post, and this is a very compelling...Thanks for the post, and this is a very compelling topic! <BR/><BR/>I have personally been through quite a few churches in my lifetime, though only two changes were made when I was an adult having any say in the matter. What's more, I've been in quite a few different denominations along the line! I consider this to be a good thing, as I'm not ensnared by the petty denominationalism that plagues so many die-hards in each denomination. As such, I have seen a lot of different reasons for change, and seen a lot of different people and families besides myself change churches for various reasons as well. <BR/><BR/>The treatment of church as a disposable entity is something that has bothered me for a while, and while I am not a "hardcore" be at church every Sunday night and Wednesday night kind of guy, I do think we should not "forsake the fellowship of the saints", as the Bible commands. Far too often, I have seen people leave churches for the wrong reasons, selfish reasons, and they have been willing to throw away the fellowship and community they have built up all those years over the silliest little issues that they can't resovle Biblically. <BR/><BR/>For all of the church changes I have gone through in my lifetime, I can honestly say that I am thankful not to have fallen into this trap, and have very thoughtfully and prayerfully considered the most recent change I made, which was a very hard one for me to do. The other change I had any control over was a clear situation of where the church had lost sight of Biblical truths, and I had no choice but to leave. My parents set a good example in this area, even though we changed churches a number of times growing up. Once it was simply from moving out of town, and once we never actually became members, but went regularly to a particular church between finding an actual church home. But the other times it was because that church was in violation of principles that were clearly Biblical to my parents, and after trying to work things through with the Pastor over the issue, they ended up leaving with Pastor's blessing. <BR/><BR/>I think that is an important issue: putting in the effort to actually try and resolve whatever differences have arisen both with the Pastor, Elders, and whomever else is involved. I received the Pastor's blessing for my last church move, and still to this day feel fondly of that Pastor, and that church. It was simply a situation where my family's Spiritual needs were no longer being met there, for various reasons, and I had to make a change for my family's sake. <BR/><BR/>Too often though, I see this route not being taken, and I see people simply "up and leave" when something makes them mad, with little Scriptural justification for their actions. Whether it's because somebody "did a friend of their's dirty", or they are wanting a more prominant position in the church and not getting it(even when being in that position would violate clear Biblical principles), I have seen the leaving of churches clearly abused. Some people I know seem to change churches every 4-5 years like clockwork. This makes me sad, and has always troubled me. So I appreciate this topic being brought up.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3579381765450411966.post-22684886051801795522009-02-11T09:07:00.000-05:002009-02-11T09:07:00.000-05:00The false teaching one is especially important tod...The false teaching one is especially important today. There are a lot of attractive heresies like the "seeker-sensitive" churches that seem very biblical, but that don't even really try to do their job. That is one thing I am struggling with about the church I sometimes go to. They have a hard time saying to their congregation "you cannot support X and really call yourself a Christian" where X is usually some serious left-wing political cause like abortion-on-demand. It's not that they condone it, but that they never challenge the congregation to realize that a lot of their own views don't match up to what their faith teaches.Mikehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15138360416884607340noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3579381765450411966.post-82538935647349597602009-02-11T08:36:00.000-05:002009-02-11T08:36:00.000-05:00Thanks for posting this issue. It comes at a time...Thanks for posting this issue. It comes at a time when I have been prayerfully considering leaving our church. I think I am emotionally not ready to make this decision but I do need to address some key issues that have surfaced in our church. The timing on this can only be of God and His will for us to do what glorifies Him and Him alone.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com