Navigating Theological Disagreements in Ministry: 5 Key Questions

Navigating theological disagreements in ministry can be tricky for youth leaders. What if your beliefs differ slightly (or greatly) from the church you serve? Unfortunately, this usually comes up only after a youth pastor is already hired. That might happen because church leadership changes or because the youth pastor failed to ask important questions beforehand.

It’s not uncommon for a young youth worker to accept a position and only later discover some theological variances. Some differences are minor. But others might make you feel dishonest by remaining at a church.

So what’s the best approach for navigating theological disagreements in ministry? When some of your views are at odds with the church’s stated views, what should you do?

5 Questions for Navigating Theological Disagreements in Ministry

Here are five great questions youth leaders should ask:

1. Is it really a theological disagreement?

Some disagreements that seem to be about theology are really philosophy of ministry or strategy issues. Philosophy of ministry issues are also important. But it’s unfair to disagree with your senior pastor’s strategy and call it a theological issue.

For one small example, I once served under a senior pastor who was very against guns due to experiences doing inner-city ministry. This affected some of our youth events, because he opposed laser tag, paint ball and even water guns. While I disagreed with him, it was only a philosophy of ministry issue, and a small one at that. We simply didn’t play any games with fake guns. Don’t make a strategy issue into a theological issue.

2. Is it a primary theological issue?

Primary theological issues are foundational to our faith in Jesus. Examples include the divinity of Jesus, the reality of his resurrection, and the inerrancy of the Bible. For example, whether the six days in Genesis 1 are literal 24-hour periods might be important. But it’s not a primary issue. So don’t make the mistake of turning every theological issue into a matter of primary importance.

3. Does it affect the way you teach?

Next, ask this question. Can you teach from the Bible according to your conscience without contradicting your church’s stated beliefs or leaders’ views in a major way? If the answer is “yes,” then the disagreement is probably minor. If the answer is “no,” then you need to discuss that with church leadership.

Minor theological disagreements will occur among church staff. Don’t make a mountain out of a molehill and leave your church over a minor theological disagreement. (Side note: If 100% agreement happens on everything in your church, then you might belong to a cult!)