A Story About the Anatomy of a Church Split.

Good morning, I have something to share with you today. It’s going to be a little different from what I usually do. Normally, I walk us through Scripture line by line. But today, I want to tell you a story. A story about the anatomy of a church split.

Why? Because it happens more than we’d like to admit, and if we can see the enemy’s tricks, maybe we can stop some churches from splitting in a negative way. So lean in with me for a moment.”

The Story Begins

“Imagine with me a church. It could be any size—fifty members or five thousand. It’s a healthy, vibrant community where worship is alive, people are being saved, and families are being helped. The Spirit of God is moving. You’d think nothing could ever shake it. But then…”

Stage 1: The Drift

“It doesn’t start with a vote. It starts with a vibe. Instead of talking about the Great Commission, people start talking about their great complaints. Instead of saying, ‘We exist to glorify God and reach the lost,’ they start saying, ‘I prefer this… I don’t like that.’ The Bible calls this schisma—a tear, a little rip (1 Cor. 1:10). And if it’s not mended quickly, that little tear spreads.”

Stage 2: The Whisper

“Then the whispers begin. Someone says, ‘I’m only sharing this as a concern,’ but it’s shared sideways, not upward. Gossip is baptized as prayer requests. Instead of Matthew 18—go to your brother privately—we talk about them instead of to them. And the enemy smiles.”

Stage 3: The Camps

“Before long, pronouns change. Instead of ‘we,’ it becomes ‘they.’ People pick sides: ‘I follow this leader,’ or ‘I stand with that one.’ The same spirit Paul confronted in Corinth—‘I am of Paul, I am of Apollos’—is alive and well. And folks, division blinds. People can’t see that it’s not about personalities at all. It’s about Jesus.”

Stage 4: The Wounds

“Now the hurt comes. Somebody says, ‘They always do this,’ or, ‘They never listen.’ Stories from ten years ago get dragged out as if they happened yesterday. Old wounds are traded like currency. The blindness here is thinking, ‘Because I was hurt, I must be right.’ But James tells us: ‘Be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath’ (Jas. 1:19).”

Stage 5: The Breakdown

“Leadership stops talking. Meetings are missed. Shade is thrown in sermons or announcements. Suddenly, bylaws get pulled out. Friends, bylaws aren’t bad, but when you’re quoting bylaws more than the Bible, the Spirit’s already been grieved.”

Stage 6: The Campaign

“Now it’s public. Vague posts on Facebook: ‘Pray for our church…’ Anonymous letters. Phone trees buzzing with half-truths. At this point, the enemy doesn’t even have to work hard—he just fans the flames we’ve lit ourselves.”

Stage 7: The Split

“And finally, there’s a walkout or a vote. One group follows this leader, while the other follows the other. Just like Paul and Barnabas, they part ways—but too often without the grace Paul and Barnabas later showed one another. Instead of blessing, there’s blasting. Instead of sharing fairly, there’s hoarding. Instead of Christ being magnified, His name is dragged through the mud.”

Where the Enemy Slips

“Here’s the truth: the enemy always exposes his hand. The tell is there. Secrecy, hardened pronouns, gossip, doctrinal skirmishes over minor issues, social media smoke—all of it is a clue. But division blinds us. We don’t recognize the tell because we’ve already made up our mind that the problem is a person. And people are not the enemy. The Bible says, ‘We wrestle not against flesh and blood’ (Eph. 6:12). The enemy is Satan. The weapons are pride, fear, and slander. And the battlefield is the heart.”

The Way of Christ

“So what’s the answer? It’s not pretending problems don’t exist. It’s dealing with them in the Spirit of Christ.

• Speak to, not about (Matt. 18:15).

• Forgive quickly, even seventy times seven (Matt. 18:22).

• Make the main thing the main thing—Jesus Christ and Him crucified (1 Cor. 2:2).

• Refuse to let preferences become absolutes (Rom. 14:1–4).

• And above all, put on love, which is the bond of perfection (Col. 3:14).”

The Takeaway

“My friends, the story of a church split doesn’t have to be your story. Division blinds, but unity shines. Jesus said, ‘By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another’ (John 13:35). Let’s make sure our church—this body right here—shines so brightly with love and truth that the enemy’s tricks don’t stand a chance.”

Closing Prayer: “Lord Jesus, expose the enemy’s hand where he tries to sow suspicion. Heal old wounds, tame our tongues, and give us wisdom from above—pure, peaceable, gentle, willing to yield, full of mercy and good fruits. Make us one, that the world may believe You sent the Son. Amen.”

—Pastor Terry W. Bailey

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