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Why And How To Leave A Fundamental Church                                                   Dr. E. Robert Jordan Many believers change churches every year.  It is good when believers leave modernistic churches or dead evangelical churches.  However, it is not always good when believers leave fundamental churches to go to other fundamental churches.  A believer must consider both the reason for leaving and the mater of leaving one church and joining another.                                                  WHY To Leave You seldom hear of a Bible-believer leaving a Bible-believing church over doctrine or Biblical issues.  The vast majority leave fundamental churches because of personality clashes, lack of spiritual growth, backsliding, or pet-peaves.  (1) Some leave because they see issues (real or imagined) with which the disagree. (2) Others become discontented because they are not active. (3) Others listen to wrong advisors, and of course, “Birds of a feather flock together.” (Prov.6) (4) Still others leave because of family, friends, or hurt feelings. Why should a believer leave a Bible-believing, fundamental church? (1) You should leave if you are moving out of the area. (2) You should leave is doctrinal heresy enters the church which has not been halted by following Matthew eighteen completely. (3) You should leave if there is proven immorality which will not be disciplined by the church (ICor.5). (4) You Shouldleave if the church no longer practices New Testament Christianity (soul-winning, baptism, adding to the church, exhortation, godly living, cf. Acts 2:40-47).                                                            HOW  To Leave How do believers usually leave a fundamental church?  (1) They leave without ever informing anyone. (2) They often join another fundamental church without ever notifying their former church or pastor. (3) Most never try to settle their problems with the pastor, decons, Sunday School teachers, or other Christians.  (They run from their problem.) (4) Some justify their actions using the following excuses: a) “I don’t want to cause a problem” – BUT THEY DO. b) “It won’nt do any good anyway” – BUT THEY NEVER TRY. c) “I know others who have tried and failed” – BUT THEY CANNOT GIVE YOU THEIR NAMES. How should a believer leave a fundamental church! (1) When a problem arises, you should always follow Matthew eighteen, to work the problem out personally with the pastor, with deacons, with individuals and with responsible leadership. (2) When a problem arises, you must pray and make certain that you have the Biblical instruction concerning the situation. (3) When a problem arises, you should not allow the thought of leaving your church to enter your mind.  Always go about to correct the problem, not to run from it. (4) When a problem arises, you must follow the procedires of the Word of God and your church constitution.  Then, if all other things fail, you may leave. (5) When a problem arisises and you must leave, always leave so that you can go back.  When tou leave, do not gossip; do not backbite; and do not try and split the church.  According to Romans 12:19, “Vengeance is mine, I will repay, saith the Lord”.  If you leave the church, you must leave it alone. Warnings A WARNING TO CHURCHES: Often churches and pastors are so anzious to grow that they will take members from anywhere and almost under any condition.  Too often they do it with pride, believing that they can do a better job for that Christian than the other pastor and church did.  Pastors only fool themselves when they think this. Every church must have a solid Bible position so that memebers do not run from one church to another without first settling their problems.  Unfortunately, most members bring their old problems with the.  Let me suggest some standards. (1) Do not build your church unrighteously with somebody ele’s blood (Jer. 22:13). (2) Do not build your church upon another man’s foundation (Rom. 15:20). (3) Do not allow someone to sin against another church or pastor by leaving and bringing their problem to yours. (4) Always talk to the former pastor before you permit such people to join your church. (5) If you do let them join your church, make sure they leave the other church alone..  They must not bring other members with them to build your church. (6) Always remember, “whatever a man sows, that shall he also reap” (Gal. 6:7). WARNING TO CHURCH MEMBERS: When you become dissatisfied and fo to another church, you are doing great damage to yourself and to your family.  (1) You fail to settle your own problems. (2) You teach your children that they should run from a disagreement.  Before long they will apply this principle to job, marriage, or anything the encounter in life. (3) You are not becoming a string Christina because you are not following Matthew eighteen.  (4) You are becoming a stumbling block (Rom. 14)  Remember, whatever you do, you always influence other believers.  Whey you are wrong, you influence them for wrong and you become a stumbling block to them (Rom 14). Dear believer, if you are ina good, independent, soul-winning separatist church, do not leave.  Stay and work out your differences for the Lord’s sake, for your children’s sake, and for your sake. Dear pastor, please do not take, desire, or solicit memebers froma nother indepepndent, soul-winning separatist church.  Remember, “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.”                                                                          BACK