There is something deeply unsettling happening in the church.
I am not referring to a single denomination or a single isolated incident. I am talking about the spirit of division that seems to be swelling across the Body of Christ. Online, in leadership meetings, in lay conversations, on platforms both formal and informal, the noise is loud and painful.
I am not involved in any of the current controversies. I am not on a committee. I have not made any public statements. But like many, I have been watching. Listening. Observing. And quietly wrestling.
There are accusations of corruption, moral failings, misuse of church funds, political maneuvering, and manipulation. There are leaders under fire, and lay members with torches in hand. Social media has become a courtroom. And the church is on trial.
I want to be careful here: I am not here to defend leadership unquestioningly. Nor am I here to absolve every lay member or online voice. What I’m trying to do is reflect as a Christian—not just on who is right or wrong, but on what this all means for those of us who still believe that the church, for all its mess, is still the Body of Christ.
I have Been Hurt Too
I will be honest; this is not just an intellectual discussion for me.
There have been times in my journey when I have faced real persecution—personal, professional, and spiritual pain. It came from within the very church I love and serve.
I have faced moments where I was misunderstood, judged, overlooked, and misrepresented. And I have seen it happen to others as well. Some of them are leaders, pastors, missionaries, and faithful members who are simply trying to do the right thing.
And yet, despite unpleasant experiences, I still believe in the church as much as I believe in God. But I have come to realize that believing in the church doesn’t mean pretending it is perfect. It means loving it enough to tell the truth with grace.
The Blame Game Is Broken
It is easy to say, “The problem is leadership.” And it might be partly true.
Some leaders have abused power. Who have manipulated votes, hidden finances, crushed opposing voices, and protected their positions more than their people. The Bible does not excuse corrupt leadership. In fact, Jesus reserved some of His strongest rebukes for spiritual leaders who prioritized control over compassion (Matthew 23).
But blaming leadership doesn’t make the rest of us innocent.
The lay members, the pew-warmers, the social media critics, the keyboard prophets—we, too, have often become agents of division, not discernment. We circulate half-truths (not all lies) without verifying facts. We spread gossip in the name of justice. We post Scripture with venom in our tone.
And if we are honest, we have contributed to the same disunity we claim to hate.
This is not the church Christ prayed for in John 17, a church of oneness, grounded in truth and bound by love. Instead, we have often become more known for what we are against than who we follow.
The Bible Warns Us
The apostle Paul did not shy away from calling out sin in the church, but he always did so with the goal of restoration,not humiliation.
In Galatians 6:1, Paul writes:
“Brothers and sisters, if someone is caught in a sin, you who live by the Spirit should restore that person gently. But watch yourselves, or you also may be tempted.”
Restoration. Gently. With humility.
Not with hashtags! Not with character assassinations! Not with spiritual arrogance!
Jesus Himself said that a kingdom divided against itself cannot stand (Mark 3:24). So, when we see the church tearing itself apart from within, we should not celebrate the exposure of sin; instead, we should mourn the brokenness of the Body.
Ellen White’s Prophetic Warning
Ellen White had clear things to say about internal church disputes (applicable to any church/denomination). In Testimonies for the Church, Volume 1, she wrote:
“Satan well knows that success can only attend order and harmonious action; he well knows that everything connected with Heaven is in perfect order. Subjection and thorough discipline mark the movements of the angelic host. It is his studied effort to lead professed Christians just as far from Heaven’s arrangement as he can; therefore, he deceives even the professed people of God and makes them believe that order and discipline are enemies to spirituality.” (1T 650)
She warned that disorder, rebellion, and slander within the church are often the tools of the enemy, not the Spirit.
In another place, she wrote:
“If wrongs exist in the church, and the brethren pass on indifferent to them, God’s displeasure is incurred. The church becomes responsible for them.” (5T 676)
So yes, wrongdoing must be addressed.
But the spirit in which we address it matters just as much as the issue itself.
So, What Now?
I do not have a ten-point solution. I do not have a list of names. I do not even have a side.
What I do have is a burden that we, as Christians, are losing.
We are so caught up in controversy that we have forgotten the centrality of the cross.
We are so busy defending our theological tribe that we have forgotten we are part of the same Body.
If the church is broken (and perhaps it is), then the answer is not to abandon it or tear it down, but to serve it with renewed humility, fierce integrity, and unshakable love.
We need to stop being experts in scandals and start being students of Christ again.
So, How Do We Do That?
We must wrestle!
- We must wrestle in prayer before we speak in public.
- We must wrestle with Scripture before we repost that viral accusation.
- We must wrestle with our own hearts before we accuse someone else.
And then we serve!
- Even when it’s hard.
- Even when no one thanks us.
- Even when the church doesn’t look like the bride it’s supposed to be.
Because Christ didn’t give up on us when we were ugly, disobedient, and rebellious.
So how can we give up on His church?
A Prayer for the Church
Lord, teach us how to love your Bride even when she is wounded.
Teach us how to speak truth without losing grace.
Teach us how to be good leaders, faithful members, and humble Christians.
Purify your church, not just through exposure, but through revival.
And may we be found not among the mockers, but among the builders.
Amen.
Your friend,
Santosh Kumar