The following "Question" was asked by a member of the congregation at Grace Community Church in Panorama City, California, and "Answered" by their pastor, John MacArthur Jr. It was transcribed from the tape, GC 70-11, titled "Bible Questions and Answers."  A copy of the tape can be obtained by writing, Word of Grace, P.O. Box 4000, Panorama City, CA 91412 or by dialing toll free 1-800-55-GRACE.

Question

Realizing that every church has its problems and realizing the importance of  unity in a church, could you give some guidelines on when you should really  work to preserve the unity in a church as a member, and when the problems get  too great you ought to leave it. Secondly, how you can leave a church if it  gets to that situation and it has got to be done?

Answer

So many people ask me that question and I really know what's on your heart,  and that is a very difficult question to answer because it really depends  upon how the Spirit of God leads you. You can struggle for the unity of the  church for a long time, and sometimes you will see the fruit of that, and  sometimes for some people they never do. Some people seem to stay too long,  some people might leave too soon, but again that is so dependent on the  Spirit of God's leading. I would say several things to keep in mind.

1. If the leadership of the church, the pastor, and the spiritual leaders of  the church, are part of the solution--stay. If they are part of the problem  then you have to really prayerfully consider whether you need to stay,  because a people cannot rise higher than their leadership. And if the  leadership is the problem, it is very difficult to overcome that. That is  why when people say to me, "I am unhappy in my church," the first thing that  I tell them to do is to go to the pastor and share your heart with them. Try  to get them to see the concerns you have, because if he doesn't understand  the issues and seek to resolve those issues, you are going to have an uphill  battle all the way, because he is going to be totally defensive and you are  going to be fighting really a very, very difficult war. If the spiritual 
leadership of the church, if the godly people, those in leadership are  seeking to be part of the solution, and you really feel that they are on  target, then maybe you can stay and be a part of the solution. But if they  are not, if the fight is against them, then you have to evaluate whether or  not maybe in time they will leave and there will be new leadership and you  want to stay and ride that out, or if you feel that maybe that's not what's  going to happen and the Spirit begins to move your heart--you need to move.

2. If the issues are doctrinal. If the issues are a misunderstanding, a  misinterpretation, or a misrepresentation of the Word of God, then you have  to be very serious about whether you stay, because we as Christians are  responsible to be under the sound teaching of the Word of God. And if you  are in a place where you are not getting the sound meat of the Word of God,  and it is available to you somewhere else, then you need to be where that  available Word is being provided for you.

Question (continued)

Are you speaking about a mistaking or an omission of certain teachings?

Answer (continued)

Either. Either teaching error or omitting truth, because we are responsible  for the truth, and our life is lived in light of the truth. I function in  response to what I know to be true. But again it is a matter of your own  prayer and your own discernment and allowing the Spirit of God to direct you  in His own time, and if your heart is opened He will really do that. He will  give you a release, you will have a sense of release and you can just walk  out. I would say that many, many of the people sitting in this church  tonight have been through that very experience. 

How many of you went through that experience and came to Grace Church? Put  your hands up. Do you feel like you are among friends? Thanks. God Bless 
you.