Most Christians want to honor their pastor.
They want to be supportive, loyal, and unified. They don’t want to be labeled divisive or difficult. For many, “following the pastor” feels like a spiritual virtue.
But good intentions can drift into misunderstandings.
Scripture calls believers to respect church leadership, but it never asks Christians to turn off discernment, ignore conscience, or outsource their faith entirely. When following a pastor is misunderstood, it can quietly damage both leaders and congregations.
Here are several common ways Christians get it wrong and what a healthier, more biblical posture looks like instead.
7 Ways Christians Get It Wrong
1. Assuming Following a Pastor Means Never Questioning Them
Many Christians equate faithfulness with silence.
If a sermon raises concerns or a decision feels off, they assume asking questions is disrespectful or rebellious. So they stay quiet, even when something genuinely troubles them.
But Scripture consistently honors thoughtful engagement. The Bereans were praised for examining the Scriptures to see if what Paul taught was true. Respect and discernment are not opposites.
Healthy churches make room for honest questions, asked humbly and in the right context.
2. Confusing Unity With Agreement
Unity is often treated as everyone being on the same page at all times.
In practice, this means disagreement is viewed as disloyalty. Concerns are framed as threats. Tension is avoided rather than addressed.
Biblical unity is deeper than agreement. It is rooted in shared submission to Christ, not uniform opinions or unquestioned leadership decisions.
True unity can handle thoughtful disagreement without fracturing.
