Staying in Your Church

Some people leave a church for the wrong reasons.

If you're feeling frustrated because you see problems with the church that you feel others don't see, then that might be precisely why you are in that church. It may be an indication you are in the right church. To make a difference. To contribute in the areas you see lacking. To work towards change perhaps.

That's provided you are not blocked from making your contribution. That's provided your contribution is received by the church.

But if you feel your contribution is not being received, that still may not be a reason to leave the church. It may be that you need to offer your contribution in a different package. It may require a strategy. And patience. It may take time. Sometimes you need to spend time making a lesser contribution before your greater contribution will be received.

Sometimes it's not so much a person's contribution itself that is not being received - but it's the way the person behaves that is not being received. For example, if a person is overly critical, or if he speaks out against things before the other is ready to hear it, of course others will put barriers up. Sometimes we can behave in a way that causes others to put-up unnecessary barriers against our message. Paul said to behave in a way that adorns the Gospel. He said to give no unnecessary offence in anything.

Many times, people think they have wisdom from God, and they feel their wisdom is being rejected by their church. But very often it's the way they package their 'wisdom' that causes people to reject them. If we are truly wise, we should show it by behaving well and behaving meekly. But if our 'wisdom' causes us to feel bitter, jealous, and contentious - then our 'wisdom' isn't all that godly. Wherever there's jealousy and contention, there will always be disruption and unhelpful conduct. The sad thing is, many people still think they're the wise one - and they leave the church because of it!

But you can tell someone who has truly anointed wisdom because first of all they live a pure life, then they are easy to get along with, they are gentle, and easy to be intreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy. Truly righteous people are people who are in good relationships with others in the church, and they actually create good relationships. But the sad thing is, some people actually blame the church for their own inability to foster good relationships - then they sow discord by criticizing others, and they leave the church, thinking themselves to be 'wise'. Most of them end-up unsettled in church-life after they leave.

Sometimes people leave churches prematurely, before addressing the merit of a wise, peaceable approach. Sadly many of them end-up making a smaller contribution to the overall scheme of things than they could have had they accepted the necessary adjustment or delay-factor and stayed where they were. Very often they leave because they feel their prophetic gift or their evangelistic gift was not free to function - but by starting their own church, they end-up needing to function as a pastor instead of as the prophet they are called to be. Their prophetic mantle takes second place, or it ends-up being heard by only a small group.

If you feel you don't quite fit-in because of your prophetic perceptions, then it could be a sign you're in the right church. Why would the Lord need to place a prophet in a church which already perceives everything you perceive? You could well be in the right place. But it takes the wisdom of God and a heart of love to work towards God's goal for the church.

Sometimes we can also think more highly of ourselves than we ought. We may feel a desire for a greater ministry than our church seems to be currently allowing us - but God knows what's best for us better than we do. You may not be ready yet for the rigours of that level of public life. We may think we're a prophet or an evangelist - when really, we are not yet ready to stand in those offices. We may have a gift of prophecy - but are not yet ready to stand in the office of prophet. We may have a flair for evangelism - but might not be ready to stand in the office of evangelist. Therefore, it's better for us to be happy about our contribution in our church, rather than gripe about not being recognized yet as the great evangelist we feel called to become.

Or it maybe for someone else that we need to stay in the church where we are - someone may need you where you are, even though you may be hoping to be doing other things in future. God knows what is best for you, for others, and for the overall scheme of things.

Another reason budding prophets and evangelists leave their church is money. They can't imagine they'll ever be paid by their church - so they think the solution is to start their own church or their own meetings. But there can be two problems with that. One problem is, if they're not called by God to stand in the office of pastor, it will hinder their effectiveness as a prophet or evangelist. Secondly, if they recognize they're not called to pastor a church, so hold meetings instead of starting a church, who is going to come? Are they ministering to the people who really needed their ministry? Sometimes the people who really needed your ministry are back in the church you left.

Of course this applies only so long as you are able to make the contribution that God wants you to be making at the current time and place - even if it's not the full contribution you'd like to be making. If you can't make even that level of contribution - adjusted in the love, purpose and wisdom if God - then He may lead you elsewhere. Or more likely, the church itself may ask you to go elsewhere. But so often today, ministers leave a church for lesser reasons. Certainly the Reformers ministered outside their churches. But Wesley had the doors of the church closed on his face. Luther's life was threatened. Nowadays people leave churches for far lesser reasons, to the detriment of their own effectiveness in ministry.

Nevertheless, there are also times when God or circumstances say, Go! For example, if you are called to minister in some way to the wider body, then God will expect you to go and do that. But we need to be sure it's really God, and not just our own inept relationships that is making us feel we should go.

Seek the wisdom of God. Walk in the love of God. Maintain good relationships as far as possible. And stay in your calling. Functioning as a prophet or evangelist in a church requires maturity - and the pathway needs to be modelled for younger prophets and evangelists coming behind you.