Attending Different Churches: Divisive attitudes

[Evangelical]

There is an interesting gotquestions article about attending different churches:

https://www.gotquestions.org/two-churches.html

Is it wrong to attend two (or more) different churches?


And this article concludes with:

While there may be legitimate reasons for someone to attend two or more churches, and nothing in the Bible forbids it, it is hard to see how such a practice could fully benefit either the believer or the local churches he or she attends.

There is also another article which is against church hopping

https://www.gotquestions.org/church-hopping.html

It says:

There is no indication in Scripture that towns or cities had more than one group of believers meeting there.

Sometimes people church-hop to avoid getting too deeply involved with any one congregation, but that defeats the purpose of the body of Christ which is, as Hebrews notes, to “encourage one another.” We can’t encourage those we don’t spend time getting to know, nor can we be encouraged by other Christians if they are essentially strangers to us.

I could take this advice as an endorsement of local church practice of devotion to the one group of believers in the locality. The practice of "church -hopping" between different denominations means we cannot encourage or be encouraged by others.

Actually, this advice somewhat surprised me given that the local churches are supposedly the divisive ones and the denominations are not so divided - should not "local churches" be encouraging people to attend different "local churches"?

What is interesting about this article is that it discourages a believer from attending different "local churches" as it says it will not benefit the believer or the "local church".

The hypocrisy of thinking is shown by the following contradiction:

a) wondering why local church members do not fellowship with other churches, and we are called divisive if we don't; meanwhile
b) expecting that people in the denominations will attend and devote themselves to one "local church", and discouraging "church hopping" which is effectively the same as a).

Despite the claims of some that denominations are not divided, this attitude of attending one local church out of a plurality of "local churches" within a city will certainly maintain the divisions between multiple local churches in a city.

I agree with the article regarding devotion to one local church. Unfortunately the article sees multiple local churches within the one city, which are not really churches, but sects, and so it actually saying that a believer should devote themselves to one particular sect and not "sect-hop".

However if we see that all believers in the city are the local church, then meeting on the proper ground , the true "one local church" will result in unity. We are not "sect-hopping" because we see all believers as part of the same local church.

Having been in both denominations and in the local churches, I believe that individuals in local churches do indeed mingle more with different believers in other parts of the city or across different cities (both nationally and internationally) than a typical person would in a denomination who devote themselves exclusively to one sect (because of articles like this GotQuestions one). This is because a sect is smaller than a city-local church, and so the opportunities for fellowship are more limited.

[leastofthese]

Originally Posted by Evangelical

Having been in both denominations and in the local churches, I believe that individuals in local churches do indeed mingle more with different believers in other parts of the city or across different cities (both nationally and internationally) than a typical person would in a denomination who devote themselves exclusively to one sect (because of articles like this GotQuestions one). This is because a sect is smaller than a city-local church, and so the opportunities for fellowship are more limited.

I couldn't disagree with this statement more and have experienced the exact opposite. I have no dog in this fight - I hold no ill will towards the LC's. They treated me extremely well and I still try to keep in touch with a few that are trapped inside.

Again, this statement holds no truth in light of my personal experience. I have been all over the world (visited churches in 10+ countries), interacting with different "denominations" (I'll use Evangelical's definition of a denomination - any church that doesn't follow the ministry of Witness Lee). I have been to dozens of churches in the north, south, east, and west of the U.S in my 20+ years as a Christian. I have spent 13 months of my life with those within the "Local Churches" (Evangelical's definition of LC). Visited with LC brothers from different states and localities. I have visited the mecca of the "Local Church" (Anaheim). In all my time, I have never seen been with a more decisive and inward focused sect than the "Local Churches" - nothing even close.

It is also interesting that you post this today. In my local church (we do not follow Witness Lee), just this morning, a group of us were talking about this very topic. A devotion to Christ and Word rather than a devotion to a sect or denomination when sharing the gospel. We don't share with our neighbors to bring them to our church, we share with our neighbors to help bring them to Christ. This isn't true within the "Local Churches" even the Christian Students on Campus, CSOC, Campus Ministries are devoted to bringing those to know and love Witness Lee. This is done in a very intentional, methodical, and prescribed way.

[byHismercy]

Evangelical,

The Lord has used many christians I do not know personally to encourage me and build me up post LC. I simply disagree with the thought that we cannot encourage nor be encouraged by saints we're not aquainted with. I just know that not to be true from personal experience.

Even here, I've been encouraged by Harold, Ohio, Jo S, Unto Him, sonstoglory.....even Drake. As for any doctrine that seems hinky (read that as unfamiliar from scripture)....my response is, and I hope forever will be, please show me the scripture. Please show me via scripture where Gods' word convicts you for or on your 'proper local ground' stance. Thank you...

Psalm 118 v5 I will walk about in freedom for I have sought out Your precepts

[ZNPaaneah]

Originally Posted by Evangelical

Sometimes people church-hop to avoid getting too deeply involved with any one congregation, but that defeats the purpose of the body of Christ which is, as Hebrews notes, to “encourage one another.” We can’t encourage those we don’t spend time getting to know, nor can we be encouraged by other Christians if they are essentially strangers to us.

Idiotic.

The church is the household of God, if you have a large family, which all Christians do, then you have family members you will see rarely, perhaps once a year. Maybe only at weddings and funerals.

The church is the kingdom, in a kingdom you cannot possibly get to know everyone nor spend time with everyone, yet you can still benefit from meeting with them, hearing from them, and being encouraged that they also are one with the King.

Sounds like the writer of this article needs to read WL's discourse on the frog in the well.

[Evangelical]

I see this GotQuestions attitude as a result of seeing the church as a collection of individual gatherings that one can choose from within a city, rather than the biblical definition as all believers in the city.

There was no such thing as church-hopping in the Bible. This is because wherever one went within a city they still remained in the one local church.

If what GotQuestions wrote was applied in biblical times, it would mean that a person devoted themselves to only one household assembly and did not mix with other household assemblies in the city which I consider unlikely.

[Ohio]

Originally Posted by Evangelical

There was no such thing as church-hopping in the Bible. This is because wherever one went within a city they still remained in the one local church.

Your comment here is ludicrous.

Apostle Paul was a pattern to the believers. He went town to town visiting the believers. Aquila and Priscilla moved from city to city. There are examples of brothers traveling all around the known world. Jesus Himself went "hopping" from town to town for His entire ministry.

Show me one verse that says to stay in one church.

There's far more "church-hopping" in the SoCal LC's than anywhere else in the world.

[Evangelical]

Originally Posted by Ohio

Your comment here is ludicrous.

Apostle Paul was a pattern to the believers. He went town to town visiting the believers. Aquila and Priscilla moved from city to city. There are examples of brothers traveling all around the known world. Jesus Himself went "hopping" from town to town for His entire ministry.

Show me one verse that says to stay in one church.

There's far more "church-hopping" in the SoCal LC's than anywhere else in the world.

I am not talking about that - church-hopping means attending a different church within one's locality. Normally, a different denomination.

The GotQuestions.org article shows a common view in Christianity - that church hopping is frowned upon. This seems like a divisive attitude to me. But this view comes from the fact that Christianity is divided into many different denominations.

I experienced this myself when I was attending two denominational churches. One Sunday someone asked me which other church I was going to and why. I experienced firsthand the expectation that a person would devote themselves to one church. Imagine if a pastor chose to "church hop" every Sunday, or a worship leader - how could they function? Denominations are not designed for "church hopping" - pastors in general don't like it. They would like people to come regularly to their church so they can invest in them and the people can give something back over time. And people will not give you any responsibilities if they know you are not a regular.

If denominations did not exist, then people could freely move between different assemblies within their neighborhood without being accused of "church hopping". It is my view that if a person goes from Catholic to Lutheran to Baptist and back to Catholic again every Sunday they are in fact "sect hopping" not church hopping. From a denominational point of view, they are hopping between churches .But from a Watchman Nee point of view, if they remain within their city they have not hopped between churches at all.

[OBW]

Originally Posted by Evangelical

I am not talking about that - church-hopping means attending a different church within one's locality.

Took only 3 minutes on a rare revisit to find Evangelical declaring definitions without basis.

[awareness]

Originally Posted by Evangelical

I see this GotQuestions attitude as a result of seeing the church as a collection of individual gatherings that one can choose from within a city, rather than the biblical definition as all believers in the city.

I find your OP to be poppycock. And all believers in a city are 'in the church', regardless if they meet in homes, denominations, or in Lee's local churches (that's just another denomination among the others).

[Evangelical]

Originally Posted by awareness

I find your OP to be poppycock. And all believers in a city are 'in the church', regardless if they meet in homes, denominations, or in Lee's local churches (that's just another denomination among the others).

So you agree that the GotQuestions article is spreading a divisive attitude by saying people should only meet with one church and not hop around?

[awareness]

Originally Posted by Evangelical

So you agree that the GotQuestions article is spreading a divisive attitude by saying people should only meet with one church and not hop around?

People should meet wherever or with whoever they please. I've know Christians that were meeting in 3 different type churches each week. No big deal. And I have family that have met in only one church all their life.

And just like Lee's local church, none of them are perfect.

[UntoHim]

So Mr. E,
What happened when you started meeting with the Local Church of Witness Lee? Did you have a choice, or were you forced at gunpoint? Where you comatose by chance, or did you have all your facilities about you? Were you making a conscious choice to join, or were you some kind of automaton with no mind, emotion or will?
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