One Cause of Church Splits

"What causes quarrels and what causes fights among you?  

Is it not this, that your passions are at war within you?

You desire and do not have, so you murder.

You covet and cannot obtain, so you fight and quarrel." 

James 4:1-2

This morning I am reflecting upon a passage I read in Gene Wood's Leading Turnaround Churches over the weekend.  This is a specialized book for pastors, but I enjoyed re-reading it as I walked on my elliptical machine.  

In the book, Wood was describing some of the primary reasons for church power struggles.  One of these reasons was the common struggle between Pioneers and and Homesteaders.  This description comes from a famous church growth consultant named Lyle Schaller.  As Wood writes,

"Pioneers and homesteaders always find it difficult to get along with one another.  The pioneers feel they have the 'first rights' to the land and resent the intrusion of the homesteaders.  This happens in the church too." (49)

When I pastored a rather contentious church in Minnesota, I experienced this first-hand.  I can see now that I never should have gone to the church as it was not ready for change and growth.  I was desperate.  They were desperate.  Nothing good ever happens when two desperate folks get together!

When I interviewed at the church, I told them what needed to be done to change and grow.  When I arrived, I did what I said I would do.  The result was many new believers and a strong influx of new people into the church.  At the same time, I started a "range-war."

Why?  To use Schaller's language, I did not respect the pioneer prospective.  These folks had a long history at this church, and they thought of themselves as owners of it.  When new folks came in with new ideas, it challenged their "authority" and past.  These homesteaders were concerned with the here and now and not the past.  As the new pastor, I was identified, no matter what I did or said, with the new intruding "homesteaders."  

What happened?  Before the new folks (including my wife and I!) could be brought in as new members, the pioneers called a congregational meeting, said many disparaging, malicious, and false things against me and the new "homesteaders" and they voted in a close vote to "go back to the way things were."  These moves caused the homesteaders to leave.  Within six months of the vote, I resigned.

What causes fights and quarrels within the church?  Many issues!  Perhaps the most important was the question of control.  Often people who are very controlling come to positions of power in the church.  Often we allow the squeaky wheel to get our attention and into positions of power.  These folks have no real concern with the Kingdom of God.  Instead, they believe their wishes and desires are the Kingdom!

When control is lost or a threat to the control is seen on the horizon, these folks "murder, covet, fight and quarrel." (James 4:2)  Unfortunately, the collateral damage is huge!  Equally unfortunately, most of the time those desiring control at all costs do not care or they blame it on everyone else.

Have you been caught in an event like this?  Did you cause it?  Repent!  Confess your control issues and look to Jesus to bring healing in your soul and to those whom you hurt.  If you lived through it and were hurt by it, I challenge you to understand what happened.  These struggles in the church illustrate the reality of the Fall of humanity.  The church is an institution in need of grace and renewal or it will quarrel and fight!  All sides need to repent and believe!  People and churches will let you down because they live in and reflect our fallen world.  Jesus does not let us down, and He loves the Church.