11 Red Flags to Look Out for in a Church
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If you look across the landscape of churches, there are a lot of good ones out there. Unfortunately, there are a lot of bad ones too.
For many people, two of the most challenging things to do are to find a new church and to know when it is time to leave your old church. It’s possible you might be in either of these positions. You might be at your church and wondering if you should leave. You might also be looking for a new church where you can stay. While I can’t tell you outright whether you should leave or stay (I would need more information to help you make that decision), I can give you some red flags to look out for. These will apply to the church you are currently attending or if you are searching for a new church home.
These red flags are cause for alarm and could be an indicator that church might not be the right church for you. Here are 11 Red flags to look out for in a church (in no particular order).
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1. A Church with an Authoritarian Leader
Some churches put way too much emphasis on the authority of the leader. While leaders have increased responsibility, they should not have unchecked authority. The leader, who is an authoritarian, cares about control. They often don’t like to be questioned, and what they desire is blind obedience. To question them is akin to questioning God. These types of leaders often stand off from the congregation as if they are “special.” They typically are not servant focused, but like the Pharisees, they loved to be honored for their position and they have no problem telling you this.
2. A Church That Is Transactional instead of Relational
In these types of churches, your walk with God is nothing more than a transaction. If you do this then God will do this in return. The messages often focus on the blessings of God and what you must do to get them. Every action you take will cause some blessing to come to you because of it.
These types of churches create shallow believers who follow Jesus for the things he can do in their life. Because everything is transactional and not based on a relationship founded on a love for Christ, when things don’t go their way, these believers easily fall away. They do not know what it means to deny yourself, take up your cross, and follow Jesus.
3. A “Gimmicky” Church
In the desire to get people in the doors of the church, churches have pushed the envelope of what is appropriate. They turn to gimmicks, often influenced by things in the world, to get people to come. These churches measure their success by how many people are in attendance. While you may have a good “experience” while you are there, these churches are typically light on preaching the gospel and making disciples. The problem with this type of church is if you must entertain people to get them in the door, you must entertain them to keep them in the door. That is a losing proposition all the way around.
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4. A Church Where There Is a Lack of Accountability
A church should never have a structure where there is no accountability. This is a recipe for disaster. It does not matter how good the intentions of the church leaders are, we must remember they are still human. They have good moments and bad ones. They face temptations and can make poor decisions. Accountability helps the leaders stay on course and is a source of protection for them. Don’t be afraid to ask about the accountability structure of the church and if it does not exist, that is a big red flag.
5. A Church Where They Show Favoritism
Favoritism plays out in different ways. Many times, it comes as cliques. If you know the right people or are in the “in-crowd” then you are often the ones given the ministry opportunities. They do not tie the opportunities given to gifting or anointing, but more about whether the pastor or leadership knows you and likes you.
6. A Church That Preaches Politics from the Pulpit
Politics are divisive. Since this is true, why would we ever bring that into the pulpit? What good is going to come from that? The answer is none. Churches that preach politics from the pulpit are severely off mission. Our commission is to preach the gospel, make disciples, and be salt and light. Politics does not promote that mission; it diverts from it.
The primary focus of the church should be about the souls of men and not the seats in congress. Churches that are politically motivated may win the political fight, but if you lose the spiritual battle in the process, then what have you truly gained?
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7. A Church That Has an “Us vs. Them” Mentality
If you walk out of church angry at the world and not wanting to have anything to do with people in the world, you might be in a church with this type of mentality. This type of thinking makes people in the world the enemy and they often desire for God to pour out his judgment on them. Any church that promotes an "us versus them" mentality is out of touch with the heart of God.
God’s heart is to pour out grace and reach people with the love of Christ. Yes, there will be a time when God judges those who reject Christ, but now is not that time. Let’s spend our time preaching the gospel and winning people to Christ, because the people of the world are not our enemy but our mission field.
8. A Church That Is All about the Money
Let’s have a momentary reality check. It takes money to run any ministry. Every church has overhead and obligations they must meet to keep the doors open. However, money should not be the primary focus of the church. Churches that are all about money appeal to one of two emotions: greed or guilt. They often apply some special blessing to your giving, which appeals to your greed. If not, they make you feel bad about the amount you give or not being able to give at all, which appeals to your guilt. When money becomes the focus, churches will find creative ways to get you to part with it. Don’t worry, churches that are all about money don’t discriminate. If they haven’t yet, they will come for yours too.
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9. A Church That Misuses or Abuses Scripture
Scripture is our guide for learning about who God is and teaching us how to live. However, we must conform our life to Scripture and not conform Scripture to our life where it becomes a means to an end. Sometimes churches will twist and take the Bible out of context to justify their position. Some don’t even preach from the Bible or if they do, they craft sermons around their true agendas. These types of churches take advantage of people and rarely encourage people to study Scripture on their own.
10. A Church That Does Not Pray
The power in the church is not who the preacher is or what connections they may have. That may produce earthly influence, but that does nothing in transforming lives or dealing with spiritual warfare. A church that does not pray is a weak church. It does not matter how many wonderful programs they have, that is not where their power lies. Programs only work when the power of the Holy Spirit is in them. That can only happen when a church makes room for him in prayer.
11. A Church That Emphasizes Law over Grace
When a church focuses heavily on the law, they become very legalistic. If all you ever hear from the pulpit are do’s and don’ts then you need to run. Our salvation is not based on how well we keep the commandments, because we will all fail at that at some point. Our salvation is by grace where we place our trust in the work Jesus did for us. Churches that are focused on the law will stifle you and instead of being free in Christ, they will have you feeling trapped again.
Final Thought
I hope this list can assist you, and please recognize this is not an exhaustive list. It is simply a starting point. Ultimately, you must ask God to lead you to the place he wants you to go. However, if you have a question about a church or are unsure if their practices are Biblical or not, you can always reach out to me and I will help you find the answer.
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