Summary: Someone recently asked me if it's ever okay to leave your church. I don't think so, except in very extreme cases. A good friend of mine once said "we shouldn't leave to get away from something, we should only leave if God is calling us to something." I think this is generally a good rule of thumb. If God is calling you to a new location, or to plant a new church, or to serve somewhere else, then you should be faithful to that call! But I do think in some cases, you do need to leave to get away from something. For example, if there is a major wrongdoing in your church leadership and the biblical model of discipline is not followed, you may have reason to move. In extreme cases, if something goes undisciplined it may even be unsafe for you to stay. And what a sad situation that would be! Of course, there is no perfect church, but there are some things that we cannot compromise. God may want to use you to make a positive change where you are, but sometimes, He's simply calling you elsewhere. You'll have to pray and seek wise counsel to make the right decision. As you do, God will "direct your paths" and use you in new ways to reach your world.
