For some reason, you are in a dilemma of deciding to either leave your initial church for the new one you found or balance going to the two churches. Can you be a member of two churches like that?
Is it even okay for your Christian life to go to two churches? Let us find out in this blog post, as I will be doing well to make sure I cover everything necessary in this article as related to this.
Why Christians End Up in the Dilemma of Attending Two Different Churches
There are various reasons why you may have a situation like this. I think I have been in a close situation like this.
I was (and I still am) following a church called CCI online, I love the balanced teachings of the lead pastor – Pastor Emmanuel Iren, so I decided to try out the church branch where I live, but I was serving in a student fellowship church at the time.
Before I knew it, I frequented the church because of how much I enjoyed the sermons (and I desired that as I wanted to be fed well) and every other thing about the church, but it felt like I ghosted my student fellowship where I was meant to be serving.
I desired CCI because of the great teachings, and other things about the church, and of course, there are also great things about the student fellowship where I fellowship. It is a wonderful place to be.
I had to decide where to stay by the Spirit because it was really important I did. Besides that I did not want to two-time churches, it takes a lot of time, effort and resources to do that.
Well, let us get to it. Here are possible reasons why Christians can be in the dilemma of being a member of two churches.
1. You don’t want to leave your first church but you’re not growing there.
You know that situation where you grew up in a particular church or where you have grown attached to the church, but you discovered that you are not growing well spiritually.
And honestly, the church is one of the huge factors that contribute to your spiritual growth and all.
So, you found out your initial church is not contributing to your spiritual growth as it should be. Then you start thinking of moving to another church but you are attached to the former already.
This brings you to crossroads, where you have to make a decision.
2. You just love the two churches
This is so possible that you just happened to visit a church and then you go once more, only to find that you love the church.
But you are already committed to your local church. What should you do in this scenario?
3. You have commitments in the first church but you want to leave
In this situation, you have actually decided to leave your church for one reason or the other, but you can not because you don’t want to disappoint them on the responsibility that has been laden on you in the church already.
This is very much understandable.
4. You are scared of how the Christians in your church will look at you if you leave
You are scared of what other Christians in the church where you want to leave will thingk.
This is also understandable, and also one of the reason this happens.
The Essence of Going to Church
Now, to be able to answer this question effectively, I feel like we need to understand the essence of the church in our lives. This will help you evaluate if you can actually be a member of two different churches
1. Discipleship
The church is a system where discipleship can be sustained. Let me explain discipleship in simple terms.
So, when you disciple some one or people, you are teaching them a particular way of life, in our case as believers of Jesus, discipleship focuses on training new believers in the doctrine of Christ.
2. Building for the work of ministry
The work of ministry is the ministry of Jesus. We all have the duty, responsibility and ministry of Jesus, that mandates us to lighten up the world with the gospel of Christ.
Just like Pastor Iren said in one of his sermons, “we are superheroes with a mandate to save the whole world.”
We get the necessary equipping that we need for effective work of ministry, and to bring us to the full knowledge of our Lord Jesus. And there are people placed over the church for this equipping, they are the five-fold ministry.
Let us see this. Ephesians Chapter 4 verses 11 to 13 says, “It was he who gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers, to prepare God’s people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.”
3. Spiritual growth
The verses I mentioned up there, also inferred spiritual growth. There is nothing like being a lone Christian. I have heard that people say stuff like, “I believe in Jesus, but I don’t do church”
It is more like saying, “my father gave birth to me, but I don’t want to identify with my siblings.”
Of course, your siblings may hurt you sometimes but you are still siblings. This same goes for the church. We are all Christians, and the blood of Jesus is our common tie.
4. Help during need.
The spiritual communal bond in the church makes it easy for Christians to be of help to one another when the needs arises.
I had to be somewhere far from my home for an important event. So, I needed money so badly that I had asked a few people where I worshipped before one of the church leaders suggested something about seeking help from the church fellowship.
She reached out to the president, and I also did. And before I knew it, they helped me with a huge part of the money I needed, from the pulse of the church fellowship. Also, other people from the church fellowship also helped out.
That is one out of many possibilities of help that can be gotten from the church community. You can get emotional help, spiritual help, accountability help, etc.
There are different people who will definitely have what you need, and are wiling to help in the church. These are also the benefits that comes with the church community.
Can You Be a Member of Two Churches?
No, it is not in any way advisable to two-time churches. I am going to make it make sense why I think so.
And before I go on with doing that, do you think it is possible to have the full beneifts of being a part of church when you are two-timing churches.
It is almost like having two partners. You will have to share your resouces, time and all between twoo different people. Why go through that stress?
Why You Should Not Be a Member of Two Churches?
Here are the reasons why you should not be a member of two different churches:
1. The essence
If youare attending two churches, this means you are subjecting yourself to two simultanous training with the same purpose. You are leaning out your possibility of productivity on both sides.
Imagine you are trying to learn the same thing from two different teachers, it is not logical. Why not focus on one of the teachers, and follow his trajectory of teaching? This is the best way I can explain that.
2. The commitment
If you are having to go two churches, you can never be committed fully to the two churches. And with this, you will not enjoy the benefits that comes with the church community.
Once you are not fully committed to the church community, you won’t be able to reap the benefits of the church community fully. The church exist for your profitting all round.
3. The cost
The time, money, effort, and resources that you will put into going into two different churches, can be used to fcus on your commitments to one church and other important things in your life.
4. The differences
It is no news that there are false churches with false minister of God that propagates a false gospel and doctrine. Going to two different churches can leave you at the mercy of that.
As long as your initial church teaches the accurate word of God, and God has not instructed you to leave, stay in your church.
What Should I Do?
I know it can be hard to make a decision like this, but I implore you to pray about this and do whateer you are led to do.
But I strongly believe you should not commit to two different churches for effectiveness in commitment.
Before You Go
I hope you found the answers to your quesion, “Can I be a member of two different churches?” I pray that God bless you with wisdom to handle this. You can send in your comments.
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