Maybe you’ve been in your church for a while and feel like it’s time to leave. This article is about the “protocol” for leaving your church.

The protocol is different if you are in ministry (lay or personal). If you are just a member and not in ministry, then it is an easier process.

What do I mean by “protocol”? Well, it all comes down to the biblical definition of what the church is. You see, when you become a member of a church, you are actually under a “cover.” This is in the form of a “prayer cover” and as such you should never leave a church without several steps. I will explain these.

First of all, the Lord has you in that church for a reason and you are covered by people praying for the whole church, hence the “prayer cover”. Second, without the “deliverance” of the Lord, you must stay in that church. Now here is the process:

1) If you feel like you are going to leave the church, there are certain things that need to be confirmed

a) Ask the Lord in prayer

Pray constantly and ask the Lord if you are really supposed to leave the church. You and all of your family members who are leaving should pray.

b) Listen to his answer

Too often, we ignore the “still small voice” of the Lord thinking it’s just our “flesh” speaking.

c) Throw a fleece

In Judges 6:36-40, there is the story of Gideon and his petition to God. Read this to understand the protocol. The fleece is a “sign” from God that “confirms” a prayer request. You could pray like this: “God, if you want us to leave this church then:
____________. When you fill in the blank with what you want God to do to confirm the address. If the fleece comes out “positive”, then that is a sign that God is saying “yes” to his request. If it comes out negative, then it’s a possible “no”. Always put a “time element” on the fleece so you know it’s God.
Many times we are so eager to hear from God that we forget to be patient and wait on Him. If you notice, Gideon threw the fleece twice and both times it was confirmed and it was different each time!

d) Beware of false leadership

The enemy is constantly trying to ruin our life’s works by lying to us about our life situations. If he can get us to leave a church primed and ready for revival, then he will do whatever it takes to bring it about in the lives of believers.

Well, let’s say you have received confirmation from God that you should leave the church. Now what? Well, this is where he takes things into the physical realm.

a) Know where you are going

Make sure you have also confirmed “where” you are going, i.e. which church.

b) Visit the new church and meet the leadership.

Meet now some of the players of the new church. Talk to them in a meeting and say hello and ask questions. If possible, meet with the senior pastor and let him know that he is planning to move. Ask him if he would be willing to accept you under his protection. By the way, if the senior pastor doesn’t know what you’re talking about, RUN THE OTHER WAY! This is a well known protocol in most churches and is rarely ignored or unknown. Once you have been invited to the church or accepted, you can apply for release from the previous church.

c) Pray for deliverance

In prayer, ask the Lord to deliver you from your current church and move the cover to the new church.

d) Inform your current church that you are leaving

Write a letter to your current pastor (or talk to him in person) and let him know that you feel the Lord is leading you to another church. Be nice and kind and thank them for a good ministry. Don’t over-complement them because doing so begs the question “so why are you leaving?” Just be real and kind too.

e) Make your move

When I leave the church – LEAVE THE CHURCH! Don’t say you’re leaving and then show up three weeks later and attend irregularly. Visiting is fine, but even then, be sure to tell people you’re just visiting.

Three rules apply to leaving a church. These three things are necessary to prevent insult and drama. Remember that he is one God and thousands of Churches all over the world. People react differently when people leave and we shouldn’t steal sheep from a church.

1) go fast
2) Go quietly
3) Exit Gracefully

By doing this, there will be the least disturbance to the body of believers and the least “rumor mill” activity. He is not to tell them “why” he is leaving the church, except that he felt God’s call. That’s it. Say no more about it. If they persist in harassing you with questions, apologize to the
conversation and go out.

If you’re in ministry, the same goes for a vital exception. You must first contact the senior pastor and let him know that he feels the need to leave. If you are in a paid position, this is the most important thing. Arrange to leave properly. You can be “platformed” and prayed for and formally released with a reception. I have seen pastors leave abruptly without a word and that is wrong. Once you have notified the proper people and been released, you are free to leave.

I hope this helps you to know this important protocol.