My wife and I have been attending church regularly (at least once a week) for over 35 years. At some point, we added kids and grandkids into the mix. We have been members of

• two Non-denominational (large and small),
• one Presbyterian PCA, and
• one Baptist church.

Over that time we have been heavily involved in teaching Sunday School, Wednesday nights, Depression Recovery, and Home Fellowship Groups, as well as engaged in countless committees, conventions, retreats, causes, dinners, business meetings, annual budgets, staff transitions, etc. My responsibilities have also included the back end of church polity multiple times as a committee leader, Deacon, Head Deacon, and Elder. I have been in leadership positions over church splits, major pastoral sexual indiscretions (many years ago), and countless other church dramas (such as terminating staff members, intersessions, and teacher removals). I say all that not from a point of pride but…sadness and experience. Finally…

ALL these churches were theologically sound and, therefore, Biblically-based, within the boundaries of sin-cursed humanity. I have no direct experience with heretical churches.

Through all that I have come away with a few observations of a solid Biblical Christian church and its members…

1. Christians do good things for others but remain sinners in every sense. That includes pastors, elders, deacons, Sunday School teachers, and other staff, of course including congregations in general. (2 Thes. 3:13, Gal. 6:9, 1 John 1:8-10, James 4:17)

2. Church is not only what God calls us to be (a fellowship), but after all the drama and trauma of church life, one can easily see a good reason for “meeting together as some are in the habit of doing” vs. being a lone ranger Christian (and isolated family) trolling for a TV sermon on Sunday mornings. (Heb. 10:24-25, Col. 3:16, Rom. 12:5, Matt. 18:20, etc.)

3. Church, like any other institution, wastes resources (time, money, volunteerism, etc) on unfruitful endeavors, as well as offering a tremendous amount of love to those in need, in a coordinated way. 

4 Many church programs and traditions continue long after their usefulness has ended.

5. Members need just the right amount of change (not too much or too little) to remain engaged, and their attention span has dropped considerably over the years.

6. Many Christians in most Biblical Christian churches, after years of being taught, are still drinking spiritual milk (1 Cor. 3:1-2). Further, reading the Bible, formal discipleship classes, and the consumption of Christian books and online material have all seen a significant drop in their use and study (details here).

7. Very few Biblical Christians are willing to discuss their faith outside the walls of the church, and our culture has put constraints on evangelism at all levels of society. For example, twenty years ago door-to-door church-coordinated evangelism was a standard practice for Biblical Christian churches.

8. The church is full of all levels of spiritual maturity, among

• the lost who know they are lost,
• the lost who assume they are saved,
• the pridefully saved, and
• the humbly saved.

9. Many churches spend more time teaching than doing ministry outside their walls. That is more due to fear and laziness of members than the fault of leadership. The adage that 20% do 80% often plagues both the members and the staff.

10. Because church is an all-volunteer organization, getting initial commitments (time and financial) for service projects and then keeping those commitments is like herding cats. The death of church programs is often based on a vacuum of missing volunteers rather than an assessment of their Godly benefits.

11. Members too frequently communicate their displeasure at policy or personnel changes through a reduction in their offerings, gossip, and abrupt or painfully protracted departure. The list of areas of potential controversy is long (details here). When there is broad displeasure, confrontations and church splits (the fear of every pastor) can ensue.

12. Staff/Elders can get misdirected in what their responsibilities are to the flock (for whom they will be held accountable) by delving into politics, focusing too much on contemporary issues, and theologically toying with trendy morality rather than core Biblical teaching. In America, the trend over time has not been good. Like a vaccine, it has infected the flock with “dead Christianity”, even in some Biblically sound churches.

13. Those who choose to involve themselves in the administrative side of the church (pastoral, staff, deacon, elder) need to have a clear sense of God’s call to this type of service. Without a strong calling, the work can be destructive to one’s faith and taxing on their personal life (James 3:1).

Conclusion

Again, the short list above comes from my experiences in Biblical Christian churches that are basically sound in their core theology. Most Christian churches fall below this threshold, hence the broad-based deconstructionist movement seen in America today (details here and here).

Over the last number of years my wife and I have been personally blessed by attending a church that has not been significantly impacted by these issues.

Regardless of the challenges of church life, God ordained this institution, which is nothing more than a place for lost sinners desiring a Savior to fellowship, offer outreach and evangelism, worship, and grow in their faith.

How to Find a Good Church

There are good Biblically sound churches out there. You just have to find them amongst the weeds. Research online in your local area for churches with a solid Statement of Faith that includes theologically sound core beliefs (details here). Attend the ones that seem best suited for your family and go to lunch with a staff member to get your questions answered. Don’t be afraid to ask tough questions (respectfully). Pick the best for your situation and get plugged in, which means Adult Sunday School, Discipleship meetings, Service projects, etc. Commit to stay for at least a year no matter what. Finally, avoid leadership roles unless you have a clear and unquestioned calling from God and the maturity to deal in a Godly manner as an authority over sinners who have, or think they have, found their personal Lord and Savior.