Look for a church where Scripture is handled carefully, Jesus is central, leaders are accountable and morally serious, money is handled transparently, questions are allowed, abuse is not protected, and members are encouraged to grow and serve rather than orbit a personality.
No church is perfect, and disagreement is not automatically abuse. But manipulation, secrecy, exploitation, intimidation, and leader worship should never be excused as spiritual authority.
Open the passages. Read the surrounding chapters. Compare translations. Search related passages. If our summary does not survive that process, tell us. Authority should be earned through transparent work, not demanded through branding.
