S. Michael Houdmann Supporter Got Questions Ministries

Divisions that lead to church splits are a sad and all-too-common occurrence in the body of Christ. The effects of a church split, regardless of the cause, can be devastating. Church splits distres...

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July 01 2013 • 0 responses • Vote Up • Share • Report

Steven Scott Supporter Grader for the Ontario Jail Ministry

{SIGH!} I still remember when I moved to New York after my grandfather had passed away (my mom & I had no relatives left in Las Vegas). A month later, I called my old church to see how everyone was. To my HORROR, I learned that my old church had split. The reason? They wanted to change the color of the carpet, but couldn't decide on the color! WHAT? They had CLEARLY lost the meaning of Church Unity! I WAS DEVASTATED!

April 08 2014 • 2 responses • Vote Up • Share • Report

Redeemed Soul Supporter

It is true that with humility and repentance, unity can be achieved. But As followers of Christ, we ought to be wise with meekness as He commands us in the gospel. Thus, discernment is key, for this ethics/morality - based approach to unity applies to worldly bodies as well, so in the world it is a known fact that when a group of business entrepreneurs split over certain matters, an individual or a split group of business entrepreneurs can go off original track to establish own company with own set of believes and with good enthusiasm and smashing rhetorical skills winning supporters or followers to join own fantasy is made easy. However in Christianity where the Lord says " I am the Truth", God clearly instructs us not only to test the spirits in order to know if thy are from God and watch for false teachers and prophets, but also to follow the tracks of the sheep as it's written in the song of Solomon, as well as to seek of the old paths of the Lord and walk in them (Jeremiah). 

The truth must be said, ever since the reformation in the 16th century, all Christians who held fast on the reformation dogma and established congregations based on the believes of the reformers (who were known to be former Roman Catholics with individualistic and contradictory believes - e.g. Clavin and Luther, Luther and Anabaptists,...etc. Very conflicting history!) were in the end scattered in thousands and thousands of various denominations, each with its own set of "important" and "less important" believes (or else they wouldn't have chosen a different name). The majority of these denominations are thankfully still hold on some truth, however they greatly disagree on some fundamental truths of the Christian faith, while saying the bible is source of truth and quoting biblical verses back and forth to each other with absolutely no agreement made, let's be honest - how many times did you hear that 2 Protestant/reformed churches have now come together in union to be one church - quite the opposite is normally the case in Protestant or reformed churches isn't it? From the 16th century until our day, there is over 30,000 denominations with conflicting believes within main stream Protestant/ reformed churches with each adamantly confessing to be the right church to join! 

Praying for a Christian in this situation is so vital in order not to be lead in either error by himself or by others or in total despair. Remember the story our Lord talked about regarding this hard - hearted judge in that little village and this poor lady coming to his door asking for food, although she didn't get what she sought, she kept coming back and knocking and finally the judge had to give her her needs for her persistence. Our Lord is humbly putting Himself in this ugly picture of the unjust judge - to show us how! 

Meanwhile read the writings of early Christian witnesses of the FAITH from the early centuries before any Church split. It is an undeniable fact in academia that there was minimum 450 years of ONE Church Christianity in true unity. 
Those were either working with the apostles directly or have lived in their time:
Accounts of Justin the martyr (1st. AD)
Polycarb of Symerna (1st. AD)
Igantius of Antioch
And many more witnesses of the truth in every generation, for it is written that He doesn't leave Himself without a witness.

Those Christians must be the model for our faith today. This one universal and Apostolic Church has been existing through His power (John 14:16) for over 2000 years of "historically proven, legitimate connection to Christ's apostles"

No ONE man - inspired church movement, No ONE man - inspired revival, etc. As witnessed in the book of acts from Jerusalem - " the Holy Spirit and us" since the 1st Church council. (John 14:16) is valid even if some continue to make false claims that the Holy Spirit left the Church, making God a liar! 
"God forbid, let every man be a liar" as the scripture says!

"Seek and you shall find"

April 08 2014 • 0 responses • Vote Up • Share • Report

Jeffrey Johnson Supporter

What is the cause of church splits? How can healing occur after a church split?

Sadly, church splits are typically caused by unaddressed tensions, such as leadership clashes, theological disagreements, poor communication, or self-serving ambition. Healing requires intentional acts of grace: processing grief, fostering humility, practising forgiveness, and focusing outward.

Divisions rarely happen overnight. They usually escalate from unresolved friction into larger fractures. 

Church splits almost always feel devastating because they strike at the heart of a community that's supposed to embody unity, grace, and shared purpose. But they're also deeply human events. They happen when unresolved tensions finally break the surface.

Leadership Conflict

Competing visions for the church's direction

Breakdown of trust between pastors, elders, or ministry leaders

Personality clashes that escalate into factions

Leadership conflict is the number one cause of church splits because people naturally align with the leader they trust most.

Moral Failure or Misconduct

Financial mismanagement

Abuse of authority

Sexual misconduct

Cultural or Generational Tension

Younger members want change.

Older members want stability.

Disagreements about worship style, outreach, or technology

This is common in growing churches or churches in transition.

Unresolved Personal Conflict

Sometimes the "church split" is really a collection of interpersonal grievances that were never addressed early.

How Healing Can Occur After a Church Split

Healing is possible—but it requires intentionality, humility, and time. Churches that heal well follow a pattern.

Honest Acknowledgement of What Happened

Healing begins with truth.

Name the conflict

Identify the root causes.

Avoid rewriting history or assigning simplistic blame.e

People need to feel that their pain is recognised.

Repentance and Forgiveness (Where Appropriate)

Not every conflict has equal guilt, but most splits involve shared responsibility.

Leaders may need to repent for failures.

Members may need to forgive even if reconciliation is not possible.

Rebuilding Trust Slowly

Trust is rebuilt through consistent actions, not statements.

Transparent communication

Clear governance structures

Healthy conflict-resolution practices

Clarifying Vision and Identity

After a split, people often feel disoriented.

Reaffirm the church's mission.

Define values and priorities.

Ensure everyone understands the direction moving forward.

A shared vision helps unify people around something bigger than the conflict.

External Mediation or Coaching

Sometimes healing requires outside help.

Denominational support

Christian mediators

Conflict-resolution specialists

Neutral voices can help untangle long-standing issues.

Cultivating a Culture of Humility and Grace

Churches that heal well intentionally practice:

Listening

Slow decision-making

Mutual submission

Prayerful dependence on God

Healing is spiritual as much as organisational.

What Healing Feels Like When It's Working

You'll notice:

Conversations become less defensive.

People stop rehashing the split.

New ministries emerge

Formerly anxious meetings feel peaceful.

The church begins to look outward again instead of inward.

Assess the Damage 

Focus: Understanding what broke and why.

What hurt them

What they fear

What they hope for

You need clarity before you can repair.

Train leaders in conflict resolution

Don't assume people know how to handle tension well.

Establish healthy communication rhythms.

Weekly updates, monthly forums, open channels for feedback.

Trust is rebuilt through consistent, predictable behaviour.

Document lessons learned

Create a simple "Church Health Covenant" or "Unity Charter" to guide future generations.

Healing is not the absence of conflict—it's the presence of healthy ways to deal with it.

June 30 2026 • 0 responses • Vote Up • Share • Report

Daniel Veler Supporter

Your question: What is the cause of church splits? How can healing occur after a church split?

Your question is a good one. I want to show you through scriptures why churches split through a parable Christ spoke. This is also seen in Revelation.

The parable is this:
Matthew 13:24: “Another parable put he forth unto them, saying, 'The kingdom of heaven is likened unto a man which sowed good seed in his field: But while men slept, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat, and went his way. But when the blade was sprung up, and
brought forth fruit, then appeared the tares also. So the servants of the householder came and said unto him, "Sir, didst not thou sow good seed in thy field? From whence then hath it tares?" He said unto them, "An enemy hath done this." The servants said unto him, "Wilt thou then that we go and gather them up?" But he said, "Nay; lest while ye gather up the tares, ye root up also the wheat with them. Let both grow together until the harvest."'"

The following is the explanation of this parable:
Matthew 13:36: “Declare unto us the parable of the tares of the field." He answered and said unto them, "He that soweth the good seed is the Son of man; The field is the world; the good seed are the children of the kingdom; but the tares are the children of the wicked one; The enemy that sowed them is the devil; the harvest is the end of the world; and the reapers are the angels. As therefore the tares are gathered and burned in the fire; so shall it be in the end of this world.”

We can see by this parable that the wicked one, the devil, has placed his children among the children of God. They exist to sow discord and division among God’s children. Consequently, this has led to numerous churches splitting due to the false doctrines they teach.

Now, in Revelation, Christ points to the false doctrine that the children of the devil will be exposed, too. (See comment for the rest)

Revelation 2:9: I know thy works, and tribulation, and poverty, (but thou art rich) and I know the blasphemy of them which say they are Jews, and are not, but are the synagogue of Satan. This verifies that the lost will be among the righteous. 

What is the doctrine they teach?

Revelation 2:14: “Doctrine of Balaam, who taught Balak to cast a stumblingblock before the children of Israel, to eat things sacrificed unto idols, and to commit fornication. So hast thou also them that hold the doctrine of the Nicolaitans, which thing I hate."

But there is more false teaching within the church.

Revelation 2:20: “Notwithstanding I have a few things against thee, because thou sufferest that woman Jezebel, which calleth herself a prophetess, to teach and to seduce my servants to commit fornication, and to eat things sacrificed unto idols.

If you study the doctrines of Balaam, the Nicolaitians, and Jezebel, you’ll be on your way to comprehending false teachings that have infiltrated the church from the children of the devil. All these teachings are designed to create division among God’s children. Those who comprehend them separate themselves from them.

July 02 2026 • 0 responses • Vote Up • Share • Report