5 Signs Your Church Might Be a Cult

The number one way you can tell if your church might be a cult is if they are not teaching biblical truths. Instead of presenting the principles of Scripture, they are teaching manmade ideologies or instructing from a book outside the Bible. Cults, such as the Church of the Latter Day Saints (formally the Mormon Church) and the Jehovah’s Witnesses, both teach in accordance with texts outside of the Bible, such as the Book of Mormon and the New World Translation. Both of these texts are not inspired by God. Similarly, the “bibles” of the Church of the Latter Day Saints and the Jehovah’s Witnesses are not the same as the true Bible that we follow as evangelical Christians. Religious institutes that teach things outside of the Bible include more than just the Church of the Latter Day Saint and Jehovah’s Witnesses. Some cults even present themselves as evangelical churches when they are not. 

Whenever a church is teaching things that are not in agreement with the Bible, it is a red flag that the church could be a cult. Doctrinal issues, such as salvation, redemption, the person of Jesus, the Trinity, and the infallibility of the Scriptures are a few aspects that cults normally distort and manipulate according to their own underlying meaning and message. If your church is denying the deity and divinity of Christ, it is a sure sign that the church is a cult. Any church that denies Jesus is not a biblical church. Jesus is the Word made flesh (John 1:1). In other words, Jesus is God. In the same way, if a church is preaching multiple ways of salvation, it is a red flag that the church is a cult. The Bible tells us the only way to salvation is by placing faith in Jesus by believing that He died for your sins, was buried, and rose again (John 3:16-17; Ephesians 2:8-9; 1 Corinthians 15:1-4). If a church is teaching something outside of Jesus as the way to salvation, then they present a lie and are most likely a cult.

A second sign that your church might be a cult is if you or other members are experiencing gaslighting. Gaslighting is extremely common today and sadly, many individuals have experienced gaslighting in their own church. The definition of gaslighting is described as “psychological manipulation of a person usually over an extended period of time that causes the victim to question the validity of their own thoughts, perception of reality, or memories and typically leads to confusion, loss of confidence and self-esteem, uncertainty of one's emotional or mental stability, and a dependency on the perpetrator” (https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/gaslighting). 

Gaslighting is extremely dangerous for those within the church as mind games can do horrible damage to a person’s spiritual walk. When gaslighting is done by a trusted individual, such as a pastor, deacon, or other church member, it is a clear sign that the church is manipulative. Cults are notorious for gaslighting their congregations and twisting their beliefs. Those who participate in gaslighting make others feel inferior and bad about themselves. They try to invalidate your feelings to make you feel as if you don’t matter or that your thoughts are incorrect. If you have been the victim of habitual gaslighting from the leadership within your church, it is a gloomy sign your church might be a cult.

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Pastoral dictatorship, often including the irreverent worship of a pastor, is a third sign your church might be a cult. Whenever a pastor is seen as a dictator or a commander of the congregation, it is a clear sign that the pastor is not caring for his congregation as Jesus commands. The Lord commands all pastors and leaders to feed His sheep (John 21:17). To feed Jesus’ sheep, it means the pastor has to care for, tend to, and aid his congregation. Pastors have an important role to play in the protection of God’s people. 

A true Jesus-following pastor would take care of God’s children just as he was supposed to do. This wouldn't include verbal, psychological, and financial abuse or leading church members towards destructive doctrine. Cult pastors manipulate their congregation and act as a dictator rather than as a shepherd who cares for his sheep. Meanwhile, if the congregation worships the pastor rather than Jesus, there is a deep-rooted spiritual problem. This red flag is seen in the “ministry” of Joel Osteen with Lakewood Church. The congregation worships Osteen and the prosperity gospel, which is really no gospel at all. If your church is involved with worshipping the pastor, this is a sign that your church might be a cult. The only person we should worship is God. Isaiah 12:5 tells us, “Sing to the Lord, for he has done glorious things; let this be known to all the world.” Praise, worship, and adoration belongs to God alone. 

A fourth sign your church might be a cult is a lack of accountability towards the congregation and church leaders. True biblical churches hold members accountable for their actions and help point them back to the truth of God’s Word. Cults do not hold their congregation accountable for their actions. In other words, cults do not care about a member's spiritual well-being. They aren't concerned with any gospel outside one that benefits their personal, unordained mission.

True Christians have a God-given desire to look out for each other and to urge one another to live a life in obedience to God. Proverbs 27:17 highlights the importance of holding each other accountable: “As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another.” Lack of accountability could lead a person to do a myriad of sinful things and never be reprimanded for them, thus halting an opportunity to yield to the Holy Spirit's conviction.

Christians should not allow other brothers and sisters in Christ to stray away from the ways of Christ, including the ways of churches founded on false doctrine and spiritual manipulation. Paul urges us, “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. Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ” (Galatians 6:1-2). Accountability is crucial for a true biblical church. It keeps believers on track and thwarts lies from teachings outside Scripture.

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A fifth sign your church might be a cult is if the “church” forces you to isolate yourself. True churches who follow Christ do not want you to isolate yourself. It is worth mentioning that this does not refer to isolating oneself for health reasons, such as isolating during COVID-19. Rather, this is referring to the church making you feel isolated or isolating you from other members of the church. The old saying “divide and conquer” is true not only for war, but also for cults. Cults want to physically isolate you from others as well as make you feel alone. Isolation could look like gossiping about other congregation members and warning you to avoid them, or downplaying the truth of other Christ-ordained churches. Cult leaders want you to stay clear of God's truth because it will shed light on their manipulation, lies, and false doctrine. 

If your "pastor" has isolated you or made you feel like you couldn't pursue spiritual growth on your own, your church might be a cult. True churches do not isolate their members. Rather than isolating their members, true churches do life with one another. Christians should never isolate one another nor should a Christian make another person feel that they have no one to turn to. 

Leaving a Cult

If you have discovered that your church is indeed a cult, it is time to leave. You should not stay with a cult because it will only hurt you and hurt your relationship with Christ. Leaving a cult can be difficult sometimes, especially if you have been there for a long time. However, it is vital that you leave the cult. Being in a cult is extremely dangerous to your physical, mental, and spiritual wellbeing. Pray for God to give you strength and bravery to leave the cult. The Lord will help you and He will never leave you (Hebrews 13:5).