What If I Disagree with My Pastor?
1) Direct answer
Stay with the Word, keep your spirit right, and handle it in God’s order. Pray, search the Scriptures, speak to your pastor privately with an open Bible, and seek peace. If it’s only preference, submit and keep unity. If it is clear doctrine or practice against the Bible and he will not receive the Word, obey God rather than men and step away quietly without causing strife.
2) Scriptural explanation
- Test everything by Scripture: The Bereans “searched the Scriptures daily” (Acts 17:11). “Try the spirits” (1 John 4:1). If any preach another gospel, “let him be accursed” (Galatians 1:8–9).
- Respect the office and approach rightly: “Obey them that have the rule over you” as they watch for your souls (Hebrews 13:17). “Rebuke not an elder, but intreat him as a father” (1 Timothy 5:1). Don’t receive accusations lightly—“before two or three witnesses” (1 Timothy 5:19).
- Handle it in order: Go to him “between thee and him alone” first (Matthew 18:15). If needed, take witnesses, then the church (Matthew 18:16–17). “Let all things be done decently and in order” (1 Corinthians 14:40).
- Keep unity when it’s not sin or false doctrine: “Endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace” (Ephesians 4:3).
- Separate if the Word is rejected: “We ought to obey God rather than men” (Acts 5:29). “Mark them which cause divisions and offences contrary to the doctrine…and avoid them” (Romans 16:17). “A man that is an heretic after the first and second admonition reject” (Titus 3:10). “Can two walk together, except they be agreed?” (Amos 3:3).
3) Simple clarifying logic
- God sets pastors to feed the flock, but the Bible is the absolute. A true shepherd points you to the Word, not away from it.
- If your disagreement is about taste, timing, or non-essential procedure, lay down your preference and keep peace.
- If the issue is clear Scripture—who will you follow, a man or the Word? If a leader asks you to do or believe what the Bible denies, your loyalty belongs to Christ.
- Don’t gossip, don’t rally people, don’t split the church. Speak face to face, with Scripture, in meekness. If there’s no agreement around the Word, step aside quietly and keep your heart clean.
4) Short reinforcing statement
Stay humble, stay Scriptural, and keep the sweetness of Christ. God defends His Word and guides the sincere who put the Bible first.
Ask a Follow-up Question
What did the Laodicean Church Age (our age) Angel (- messenger) Say about this?
Ranked passages from the local William Branham sermon and Church Age Book database. Relevance is relative, not a statement of doctrinal certainty.
Position of a believer in Christ
55-0227A §57
If you don't watch... You'll actually... I feel sorry for a pastor, a pastor that's a real true pastor. Here's an element in the church wants to be a fanatic. Here's another one on one side that's so ritualistic till things cool off. And usually, the cold formal gets it, because of the educated, scholarly type, until both... Some has pastors not enough spiritual. And the first thing you know, your church freezes up. And if you don't watch, they'll both of them drag you in there. First thing you know, why, they'll t...
Hebrews, Chapter 7, part 1
57-0915E §48
Now, "All wars," as I say, "are fought for principles." Now, if you have a little war in church, it must be the right principle. You must be fighting for the right thing. And each member of the church is supposed to do that. Now, this teaching is for the church. That's what we're here for, that's what I'm standing here for, that's what God's Word is for, is for the church. Don't never let nothing hinder this church; if it does, you're guilty, each one of you. And you, in your different churches, if something's goin...
Questions and Answers, The Law having a shadow
54-0516 §6
And let this church hear this: pastor, and all, regardless, if those people who left this church..."They went out from us because they wasn't of us," said the Bible. See. That's right. And we went to them with brotherly and godly love, one after another, trying to reconcile them to the church. They wouldn't listen. We taken groups and went with them, they wouldn't listen. Then we told it to the church. And the Bible said, "Let them be as a heathen and a publican." That's right. They cannot come back in the church w...
Questions and Answers, Part 2
64-0823E §64
Now, I told the brethren (there's witnesses here know this), I said, "Let it alone. After awhile I'll---we'll find out whether it's of God or not. If it cannot stand chastisement, then it's a bastard child." That's exactly what the Bible said. And when the chastisement come, what happened? Did I tell you that long ago? See? Ask the pastor here. He said, "What about this and that?" I said, "Just let it alone! They're babies. We can't judge it, but watch when it really comes to pin down to the Word." Now, Brother Jun...
Questions and Answers
61-0112 §140
So if the pastor stops and reverently bows his head, just don't say nothing, see. Don't say nothing; let the pastor. But you watch your pastor. If he motions to you like that, that you should stop it, then walk over with Christian love, say, "My brother, sister (whichever it may be), I believe you're out of order, because you're disturbing the prophet, you see. He has the message from God. When he gets through with his message, then we'll see about it a little later." See, if it's disturbing him. But if it's someon...