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Surviving a Church Split – How to Recover from the Heartbreak

4.  Thoughts for pastors who need help surviving a church split:

It’s a pain that no one can understand. It gets better. Jesus never leaves you nor forsakes you.

If you are voted out of a church – give yourself some time to heal. The same way you would advise a person after a divorce to heal before a remarriage – don’t just jump in to another lead ministry position. You will get past this.

If you have survived a group of people turning against you and trying to turn others against you also, God will bring healing and strength to your soul. Surviving mutiny builds our ability to lead. Don’t allow this to make you bitter. Find healing for your soul. Let compassion guide you as you move forward.

5. Thoughts for church members who need to recover from a split:

It’s ‘people’ who hurt people – it’s not a church that hurts people.  Don’t give up on church. Jesus doesn’t. Find a church where you can heal.

For every one leader who falls or does something unethical, there are 1000 other pastors who are good, sincere, and compassionate leaders. Don’t let “the bad one” guide your future. Find a church that is a safe place.

The church is made up of imperfect people. In the same way that negative people do not invalidate the value of family, work, business, school, or neighborhoods, negative people do not have the power to invalidate the church either.

If you have supported a group of people or a leader who has led a split from a church, you need to repent to God and ask for forgiveness from those leaders whom you have hurt.

Don’t give up on people. Don’t give up on the church. Don’t give up on following the plan that Jesus Christ has for His people – the church.

I haven’t covered everything. I probably haven’t said everything clearly, but hopefully, this helps. Are there any other issues about surviving a a church split you think need to be discussed?