Knowing How to Find a Healthy Church

There are people across this country who attend church for different reasons.  Some of the reasons why people attend a "particular" church range from social gathering, music, single/marriage ministry even down to "kind" of message that is being preached the leadership of the church today.  It is quite unfortunate that some people attend church for all the wrong reasons. They prematurely attend a particular church or denomination without probing into what is most important: that of where that particular church or denomination stand on "key" biblical issues at it relates to the essential of the Christian faith (Jud. 3).  We live in a time where the truth of God's Word is no longer front and center of people looking for a good healthy church to attend. It is always based upon the charismatic personality of a given leadership, the size of church attendance, popularity, and showmanship.  Popularity cults holds sway within that of many evangelical churches today especially when many evangelicals disavow sound biblical theology (2 Tim. 4:3-4).  Doctrine and lifestyle go hand in hand with each other. They are bedfellows. A tree is known by the fruit it bears. The church cannot expect for apples to grow oranges together nor oranges apples. A tree is known by the fruit it bears (Matt. 7:15).  People today within the church are so easily deceive by what they see without paying close attention to what is necessary to do a thorough check as to what a particular church or denomination believe about the foundations of the Christian faith.  The church must model that of the Bereans in that they, "searched the scripture to see if those things are so." People would rather prefer have the leadership "tell" them what they ought to believe without them knowing "what" they believe and "why" they believe what the Bible teaches.  There are "demigods" throughout many evangelical pulpits today who seek control by "dictating" to people about the "particular" beliefs and doctrines of their particular denomination, sect, and cult group organization (Matt. 23).

   Throughout this article I will begin to address the subject, "Guidelines in Knowing How to Find a Good Healthy Church." As I said before that many people today look for a church for all the wrong reasons without looking into what that "particular" church or denomination teach in regards to the essential of the Christian faith. Many times people who come from broken homes, families, and marriage relationships are prime targets of post-cult recruitment (Matt. 23).  They are looking for the "love" and acceptance of a loving relationship of a church or leadership that will provide them with such "parental" guidance.  Because of people's broken relationships they would rather be apart of  a "toxic" church that is very much "toxic" itself.  In so many words both church and people are broken themselves by which it is "toxic" in their relationship.  Therefore there is also a group of people that seek to "belong" by which they have such "identity" crisis.  In so many words people who have such an "identity" crisis seek megachurch ministries and leadership who have such celebrity status as to make them apart of a larger group of people.  They enjoy the music, praise/worship service, and motivational preaching without a sense of connection with both the leadership of the church and that of its members.  Looking for a church for all the wrong places will in fact land people into the hands of  such "cultic" leadership (3 Jn. 9-10).  Cult leaders seek dominance and control over people who are driven by popularity; not what is biblical truth (Rom. 16:17-18).

   I will not be able to address every guidelines within this particular article but to give a few tips in knowing "how" to find a healthy church.  I am aware of the fact that there are many books are written on, "How to Find a Good Church?" by which I find it very much interesting but what is lacking within many of these books in the Christian marketplace in "Knowing How to Find a Healthy Church?"  First, knowing how to find a healthy church is (1) To attend a church that demonstrates that of the character of the gospel. (2) To know that of its beliefs and practice. (3) A church that display that of church discipline.  Also, (4) a church that foster good loving relationship with people.

   The main "key" element of knowing "how" to find a healthy church is to know whether a particular church or denomination exemplify the character of the Gospel (Rom. 1:16).  There are many churches and ministries across this country that doesn't display that of the character of the gospel in what they believe and teach about the glorious Gospel of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.  As a researcher over the years I find that many of the churches that I attend on Sundays are not proclaiming that of the message of Christ. The message of Christ is centered upon the death, burial, resurrection, and ascension of Christ (1 Cor. 15:1-2ff).  The nature and the character of the gospel of Jesus Christ is that the power of the gospel changes people's lives on the inside out and that it is based upon the Person of Jesus Christ.  Pragmatism, subjectivism, postmodernism, legalism, and mysticism are messages that are being promoted by many evangelicals today absence of the truth of the gospel (Gal. 1:8-9; [Acts 15:1-2ff]; 3:1, 2-4).  Whenever the church "replace" that of the message of Christ in favor of what is "motivational" preaching adversely affect that of the character and moral life of the Church today.  Instead of the Church preaching Christ's gospel in favor of "another" gospel it will envision God's divine judgment (Gal. 1:8-9).  The church must not only preach the message of Christ but to live out a life that reflect that of the character of the Gospel of Jesus Christ (Rom. 1:16).

  Second, the guidelines of knowing "how" to find a healthy church is to know where its own leadership stand on "key" biblical issues as it relates to the foundation of the Christian faith.  It is very much "unfortunate" that many legalistic churches and ministries major on minors (e.g. perpetuity of spiritual "gifts" and speaking in tongues") but explicitly deny that of the Trinity (Matt. 28:19-20).  Even though the word "Trinity" is not spell out in the Bible but that gives scriptural evidence of the Godhead or the Tri-unity of God as manifested in Three Persons the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit (1 Jn. 5:7-8).  There is Only one God revealed in Three Persons: that of the God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. There are not 3 gods but Only one God who are in agreement with that of creation and the salvation of people today (1 Cor. 8:6).

  There are many Charismatics and Pentecostals who place so much emphasis upon what is subjective (e.g. "feelings") but are defective in their knowledge and understanding of biblical theology. According to many Charismatics is that "experience" takes precedence over what is biblical truth (2 Tim. 4:3-4). Whenever there is an overemphasis of what is subjective as oppose to the absolute truth of the Bible creates a "hybrid" of cults and heresies that is running rampant in the church today (1 Tim. 4:1).  It is so important that to find a healthy church is for the prospective member know exactly where the church stand on key essential Christian doctrine (e.g "the Bible") by which it is also important to ask the leadership of that particular church or ministries there "Statement of Faith."  Even though there are churches and ministries that advertise such "false" advertisement by deceiving others in what they actually believe is to encourage people to begin asking a "series" of questions concerning their "doctrinal" beliefs.  If and when leadership of the church "discourage" people from asking questions as to their actual beliefs "fearing" touching God's anointing is evident of the leadership own "insecurity."  

 Third, the guidelines of knowing "how" to find a healthy church is that of church discipline. There are churches and ministries that do not believe in church discipline because it sheds more heat than light. The attitude of many evangelical church leadership is that we should not judge other people because people are frail and human.  They will cite passage like Matthew 7:1 where Jesus says, "Judge not that you don't be judge."  The church is not in the business of judging people but to love people who perhaps may have gone astray.  The fact of matter the church is to not judge people hypocritically, but to judge righteously.  When it comes to church discipline the responsibility of the church is to confront the offending brother who have sinned against the church by lovingly addressing the issue of immorality.  If and when the offending party takes responsibility for its own immoral actions by repentance then they are restored into the fellowship of the church. When such an offending party refuse to acknowledge that of its own immoral behavior than the Bible says consider such individual as a sinner thereby being excommunicated from the church (Matt. 18).
  The evangelical church today have allowed individuals in the church today to go "unfettered" with their own gross immorality and to teach false doctrine by which God's people have been greatly impacted (1 Cor. 5).  Whenever the church does not display church discipline in favor of love and unity without addressing the issue of immorality and false doctrine in the church is to put at risk the credibility of the church (2 Tim. 2:17-18; 3 Jn. 9-10).
  Lastly, the guidelines of knowing "how" to find a healthy church is when the church foster good loving relationship with people.  The goal of this ministry is to restore by reestablishing interpersonal relationship with people who have lost faith in God, the church, and the world altogether.  People who have been involved in Bible-based sects that are legalistic in both its beliefs and practice have a tendency to judge others based upon what they experience. Legalism short-circuit people's relationship with God, self, and others based upon the do's and don'ts of Christianity by which the relationship is based upon rules and performance (Acts 15:1-2ff).  Many legalist in the professing church today are "grace" killers.  Therefore "legalist" are not concerned about building meaningful, working relationship but that a relationship with God is based upon how well they do so as to win browny points with God. It is a "relationship" that is also based upon what is "conditional"; not what is unconditional.  Judgmentalism, pragmatism, sacrilegious, and legalism is at the heart of the "legalist" worldview in regards to their relationship with God, self, and others.  People who were involved in such Bible-based sects and cults have difficulties in establishing relationships with other people simply because of the narrow constructs of its theological/moral worldview.
   People have become so "discouraged" simply because they could not live up to the standards of the leadership of the church by which they are spiritual "drop-out" in the attending any church. They were crushed with the overload of works and performance by which people's relationship with God, self, and others have been affected (Matt. 23).  Many of God's people have been "spiritually" hurt by "toxic" churches and church leadership whose need is to rest in Jesus (Matt. 11:28-30).


Rev. Darryl L. Miller, is the president & Chairman of "Darryl Miller International Ministries," Atlanta, Georgia and travels extensively throughout the United States and continents. Darryl is the best-selling author of his book, "The Prosperity Gospel: Where Did It Come From? Gnostic Source? Or Spiritual Revelation?" 2nd edition @ www.Amazon.com. He is the Podcast Host of, "ASK DARRYL" which airs 24/7 @ www.spreaker.com/user/bishopoflyons.com. As a apologist, conference speaker, and lecturer he is in great demand both in the United States and around the world. Darryl lives with his wife Vivian outside metro Atlanta with their puppy "Little Baby."