There are a few good reasons to leave a church, but many bad reasons. One of the worst reasons to leave is that you disagree with something your pastor says in a sermon. Now, to be clear, true heresy is another matter (and we need to know the difference between a disagreement and heresy). If the pastor preaches that Jesus was only a man, if the pastor teaches that the God revealed in the Bible is only one god among many, if the pastor consistently teaches what is contrary to the creeds and historical Christian faith, then there is a larger problem than a disagreement. Depending on the context, this still may not be cause to leave the church but it is certainly a reason for some hard discussions with the pastor, church leadership, and even denominational leadership.

But most disagreements between a congregant and a pastor will not be on such major points: they will be matters of interpretation on a particular passage, different biases and approaches to the text, different life experiences that will inevitably lead to different perspectives. No one comes to the Bible or historical Christian doctrine as a blank slate. We all bring our life stories and predispositions with us. They cause us to ask different questions of the text and thus lead us to have different understandings. Disagreements on matters of biblical interpretation and theology are normal and expected. Congregants should expect to disagree with many points in many sermons from their pastors, just as they should expect to have disagreements with other congregants. 

So why should you continue in a church when you do not believe everything the pastor says?

1. Church is more than the sermon. Preaching matters, but the life of a church involves so much more than the 20-30 minutes given for a sermon. Church is not just a place we go to learn about God and the Bible, it is a place where we practice the life of faith. This includes time spent in worship (which itself includes preaching), but this is not the whole of church life.
2. Church is more than the pastor. The pastor is not the star of the church. God is. Jesus says that when two or more are gathered in his name, he is present. He does not say, if two or more are gathered for a theologically accurate sermon, he is present. We worship God, not the pastor. So if the pastor makes an error in interpretation, God is still present and at work. And God may have something to say to you regardless of what is preached. We gather to worship God, not to hear a pastor preach.
3. You might not actually disagree. What might at first seem like a disagreement might only be a lack of understanding. We are sometimes trained, without knowing it, to read or hear information and instantly ask ourselves: do I agree? But I can only answer that question if I have first listened and understood. Before asking, “Do I agree?” I need to first ask, “Do I understand?” Words can be fickle. Many theological disagreements have less to do with substance and more to do with the words being used. The pastor may use a word that has a certain connotation to you that it does not have for them. Before assuming there is a disagreement, first be sure that there is mutual understanding.
4. You may be wrong. Naturally, when we have a disagreement we assume that the other person is in error. But what if we made the opposite assumption: what if I am the one in error? While I do not hold any opinions that I believe to be incorrect, it is highly unlikely that every opinion I hold is correct. This is basic humility. Each one of us is certain to be wrong about all sorts of things! No pastor is right all the time (see below). Nevertheless, the pastor is the one in the congregation who has been called by the Church to devote their life to prayer and the study of the scriptures. The pastor is the resident biblical scholar and the resident theologian. They deserve the benefit of the doubt. Most pastors spend hours studying a passage before preaching a sermon. Thus there is a good chance if the pastor comes to a conclusion that you do not necessarily agree with, it is the pastor who is right and you who are wrong. Letting a pastor or teacher challenge your previously held beliefs is how you learn and grow. You will never grow if you stop listening every time you are challenged.
5. The pastor may be wrong…and may realize it with time. Every pastor has the experience of remembering something they once said in a sermon only to be overcome with embarrassment. “How could I have said that!?” Over time we mature, learn, and allow the Bible to speak to us and correct us. If your understanding and interpretation of the Bible never changes over time, it may be that you are telling the Bible what it means more than you are allowing the Bible to speak on its own terms. The same applies to pastors! Pastors are not infallible. It is unrealistic to expect them to always get it right. We, too, have room to grow and learn and be corrected.
6. The pastor is wrong…and yet you can still learn. In my education I would often disagree with my professors about different points. And yet, I learned much from them even when I disagreed. Sometimes I learned more when I disagreed with what the professor taught. They may have taught a point that I ultimately did not accept, but their teaching pushed me in a helpful direction and made me consider things I otherwise would have missed. Part of learning is being confronted with challenging new ideas. If we only listen to what we already agree with, then we can never grow.

So when you disagree with the pastor, should you let them know? This depends on the context and your relationship with the pastor. However, here are some questions you should ask yourself before you do:

Does this disagreement amount to anything worth talking about…or is petty?

Am I open to having an honest conversation or do I just want a debate?

Am I open to having my mind changed?

Do I only call the pastor when I have something to complain about?

Is this just a disagreement about one sermon or is it a consistent point the pastor makes?

The truth is that most pastors would love to have more conversations with their congregants about the Bible and theology. If you want to have a charitable discussion with your pastor about something in the sermon, your pastor will likely welcome it – even if you both disagree at the end of the day. What is unhelpful is if you just want to complain and tell your pastor why they are wrong. That does not get anyone anywhere.

We live in a time and culture that has forgotten how to disagree well. The Church of Jesus Christ can and should be a place where we learn how to practice disagreement in charitable ways. The next time you hear something in a sermon that bothers you, see it as an opportunity for the Spirit to work and lead you further into a life of holiness.