“If the foundations be destroyed, what can the righteous do?” – Psalm 11:3 (KJV)
When a new church is planted, its survival and growth depend heavily on the kind of spiritual and structural foundation it is laid upon. Many young churches have crumbled, not because God wasn’t involved initially, but because their foundations were faulty. If the foundation is wrong, everything built on it becomes unstable.
SCRIPTURAL FOUNDATION: 2 Kings 2:19–22
Just as the people of Jericho cried to Elisha about their land being pleasant but unproductive due to bad water, many churches may look promising on the outside, yet they are dying internally due to foundational errors. Just as Elisha dealt with the root of the problem by healing the waters, church planters must confront and correct wrong foundations.
FACTS ABOUT FOUNDATIONS IN CHURCH PLANTING
- Every church, like a house or city, has a foundation
(Matthew 7:24–27 – Wise and foolish builders) - The foundation can either support church growth or hinder it
- A wrong foundation will negatively affect the overall life and destiny of the church
- It takes only one person to lay a spiritual foundation for a church, whether good or bad
- A right foundation ensures strong, lasting, and healthy church growth
- Even if a church begins with a wrong foundation, it won’t stand for long unless the error is prayerfully corrected
- Wrong foundations can be corrected through prayer, counsel, and spiritual intervention
- Just as God is deeply concerned about the foundation of a church, the enemy is also very interested in it
(1 Corinthians 3:10–11 – Christ as the only true foundation)
WRONG FOUNDATIONS THAT DESTROY NEWLY PLANTED CHURCHES
1. Foundation of Ambition Instead of Divine Vision
When someone says, “Others are planting churches, so I will plant one too,” it shows a carnal ambition, not a God-given vision. Church planting is not a competition—it is a divine mandate that must come from heaven. Without a clear call, the work is built on sand.
2. Foundation of Bitterness, Quarrels, and Backstabbing
When someone starts a church out of offense, rebellion, or unresolved conflict with a spiritual leader, it becomes a work birthed in the flesh. God does not bless rebellion (Hebrews 12:15). A wounded associate who feels betrayed and then “takes revenge” by starting a church will soon face spiritual consequences.
3. Foundation of Cheating and Sheep-Stealing
Starting a church by manipulating or stealing members from another congregation is spiritual robbery. God cannot back such a foundation. John 10:1 warns about entering the sheepfold through another door.
4. Foundation of a Business Venture
Planting a church for the purpose of making money or gaining fame is a misuse of the sacred calling. Ministry is not a career—it is a calling. Turning God’s house into a money-making machine invites judgment, like Jesus cleansing the temple (Matthew 21:12–13).
5. Foundation of Competition
When church planting becomes a numbers game (e.g., “They planted 100 churches, we’ll plant 120”), it turns into a human race, not a spiritual mission. Without divine direction, such efforts collapse.
6. Foundation of Sin and Immorality
When the church planter is secretly living in sin—immorality, lies, or other forms of unrighteousness—the foundation is already polluted. It is like a person infected with a deadly disease who still tries to give birth. The spiritual contamination affects the entire church body (1 Corinthians 5:6–7).
7. Foundation of Ignorance
A church planter who lacks knowledge of God, Scripture, or the community they are called to will struggle. Hosea 4:6 says, “My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge.” Shallow knowledge of the Word and the local people leads to failure.
Recommended Reading
The Process Of Church Planting
Factors That Stagnate Churches
Top Ten Lessons from the Life of Rachel
Freedom From Demons (Video)
8. Foundation of No Purpose
Every divine assignment must be driven by a God-given purpose. Proverbs 29:18 says, “Where there is no vision, the people perish.” A new church without clear spiritual goals and direction is like a ship without a compass—it will soon sink.
9. Foundation of Wrong Doctrines and Personal Revelations
When someone builds a church on unbiblical teachings or personal “revelations” not rooted in Scripture, it leads to confusion and heresy. 2 Timothy 4:3 warns of a time when people will not endure sound doctrine.
10. Foundation Without a Target
A church must understand the specific group of people God is sending them to reach. If there’s no spiritual target—no vision for souls, community, or mission—there will be nothing to measure or grow.
11. Foundation of Poor Administration
Anointing is not a substitute for structure. A church with poor leadership systems, financial mismanagement, or lack of order will collapse. Paul told Titus to “set things in order” (Titus 1:5). Administration is part of godly stewardship.
12. Foundation on Just One or Two Wealthy People
Just as the Philistines’ temple collapsed when Samson destroyed the two pillars it stood on (Judges 16:29–30), a church built solely on the support of one or two wealthy individuals is highly vulnerable. If those individuals fall or withdraw, the church collapses.
13. Demonic or Occultic Foundation
If the church planter has been involved in occult practices, or if the land used has a demonic history, it invites demonic activity. You cannot cast out demons with demonic authority. Such foundations must be broken spiritually before the church can grow.
14. Imbalanced or Half-Truth Foundation
When a church is built only on part of the truth (e.g., focusing only on miracles, prosperity, or deliverance), it becomes spiritually imbalanced. A church must be founded on the whole counsel of God (Acts 20:27), or it risks producing shallow believers.
WAY OUT OF WRONG FOUNDATIONS
There is hope for any church that recognizes it has been built on a wrong foundation. God is merciful and willing to restore.
- Genuine Repentance
The leadership must humbly repent of every sin, ambition, pride, and error involved in laying the wrong foundation (2 Chronicles 7:14). - Prophetic Ministration
Through the guidance of seasoned ministers, prophetic prayers and declarations can be made to uproot faulty foundations and re-establish godly ones (Jeremiah 1:10). - Prevailing Prayer
Intensive intercession must be raised to break any spiritual yoke attached to the wrong foundation. James 5:16 – “The effectual fervent prayer of the righteous avails much.” - Proper Spiritual and Strategic Research
Investigate the spiritual history of the land, the background of the planter, and any hidden issues. God can give revelation that reveals the root of the problem.
By addressing wrong foundations, churches can be healed, revived, and restored to walk in divine order and lasting fruitfulness.
Let us build only on the Rock—Christ Jesus—for every other ground is sinking sand.
(Matthew 16:18 – “Upon this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.”)