Is It Time To Leave Your Church?
Eight questions to ask yourself
Leaving a church is kind of like walking away from a long-term girlfriend or boyfriend. You have history. You have shared memories — many of them good. You may have raised children together. You might have decades-long friendships attached to your church as well. And there is so much comfort in the familiar.
Yet, at the same time, you just know it’s not working anymore. You have grown apart. Things are not what they once were. There might be conflict — words and deeds that leave you feeling detached and cold towards your former love. You are left with a lingering question, “Is it time to leave my church?”
This was the situation that we faced. We walked away from the church that had been my wife’s spiritual home for over thirty years. Imagine that! It was not an easy thing to do. However, we realized in the end that we could not remain in an environment that had, for the most part, turned toxic.
The church is supposed to be a life-giving community of vibrant faith expressed as love for one another. However, if you feel that your church is something less than that, you might wonder, “Is it time to leave my church?” Here are eight questions to ask yourself that might help you come to a place of peace about what you need to do next:
