The 5 Dysfunctions of a Church

Patrick Lencioni’s The Five Dysfunctions of a Team has become a classic in leadership and organizational health. But the truths he identifies do not only apply to companies or teams. They apply to the church as well.

When the church functions as Christ designed, it becomes a fellowship of grace, truth, and mission. When dysfunction takes root, it weakens our fellowship, distracts us from our mission, and damages our ability to share the Gospel to the world.

Let’s walk through these five dysfunctions, adapted for the church, and consider how we can overcome them by God’s Word and Spirit.

1. Absence of Trust

In Lencioni’s model, everything begins with trust. Without it, nothing else works. In the church this is even more true.

Trust is built through vulnerability. When believers confess sins, admit weakness, and share struggles, relationships deepen. Without that honesty, fellowship remains shallow and fragile.

James 5:16 reminds us, “Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed.”

Imagine a church where no one is willing to admit they are struggling in their marriage, fighting temptation, or losing faith. The façade of strength blocks the pathway to healing. But when we begin to speak honestly and pray for one another, God builds bonds that hold firm.

2. Fear of Conflict

Many churches avoid conflict at all costs. We prefer peace-faking instead of peace-making. But without healthy, biblical conflict, issues fester, truth goes unsaid, and unity remains fragile.

The early church did not run from conflict. Acts 15 records sharp disagreement among leaders, but because the matter was addressed openly, the gospel was preserved and the body was strengthened.

Proverbs 27:17 says, “Iron sharpens iron, and one man sharpens another.” Sharpening creates sparks, but the result is growth.

Think of the difference between a church that buries problems and one that faces them. In the first, bitterness and division grow quietly. In the second, even when the conversations are hard, the end result is clarity, forgiveness, and a deeper unity.

3. Lack of Commitment

When trust is absent and conflict is avoided, people hesitate to fully commit. In the church, this shows up as half-hearted attendance, inconsistent service, or reluctance to sacrifice for the mission.

Christ calls us to more. In Luke 9:23 He says:

“If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me.”

Commitment costs something. It means choosing to be present even when you are tired, showing up for worship even when life is busy, and staying faithful to your ministry role even when it is inconvenient. Fellowship only becomes powerful when people are all in.

4. Avoidance of Accountability

No one naturally likes confrontation. But in the church, accountability is an act of love. Without it, sin spreads, holiness fades, and discipleship withers.

Paul told the Galatians:

“Brothers, if anyone is caught in any transgression, you who are spiritual should restore him in a spirit of gentleness” (Galatians 6:1).

This is not about shaming. It is about restoring. When someone drifts into sin, real fellowship does not look the other way. It walks with that brother or sister back toward Christ.

A church that avoids accountability eventually loses its holiness. A church that embraces accountability in love becomes a place where people can truly grow.

5. Inattention to Results

In business, this dysfunction shows up when people pursue personal success instead of team success. In the church, it means prioritizing comfort, preferences, or traditions over the mission of God.

Philippians 3:14 says:

“I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.”

When the church forgets the goal, it drifts inward. Worship becomes about self instead of Spirit. Ministries become about tradition instead of transformation. The Great Commission is sidelined in favor of whatever keeps people comfortable.

But when we keep Christ’s mission in view, the results are unmistakable: disciples are made, lives are transformed, and Christ is glorified.

So Let Me Ask You (as I ask myself):

• Do you struggle to trust others in the church, or to be vulnerable yourself?

• Do you avoid conflict, or do you seek peace through truth?

• Are you fully committed to Christ’s mission, or only halfway in?

• Do you resist accountability, or welcome it as a gift?

• Are you more focused on your own comfort than on kingdom results?

A Closing Encouragement

The church does not have to stay dysfunctional. By God’s grace, we can build trust, embrace healthy conflict, commit fully, hold one another accountable, and pursue kingdom results together.

Christ has already won the victory. Our calling is to walk in it faithfully, side by side.

Until the journey is complete,

Jonathan Pilgrim

P.S. This week, choose one area to grow in. Maybe it is confessing a struggle to a brother or sister, having a hard conversation, or re-committing to serve. Take one step away from dysfunction and one step closer to biblical fellowship.