Les Feldick does not emphasize the local church because his emphasis is on teaching people to search the Scriptures and discern truth from the Word, not on promoting any church or denomination.
He says plainly, "I'm not against the church. Not at all," and has never told anyone to leave their church. He intentionally refuses to trumpet any particular denomination and instead urges believers to get into the Book and take away denominational blinders. His core concern is that every believer be sure they are a member of the body of Christ rather than worrying about the size of their local church.
Acts 17:11 — This is the pattern Les holds up for discernment: believers search the Scriptures rather than simply trust denominational teaching.
1 Corinthians 11:17-18 — Paul warns that coming together in the local church can be for the worse when there are divisions, showing why mere local church participation is not the main emphasis.
Scripture shows that a church gathering is not automatically a place of sound teaching. The Bereans are praised in Acts 17:11 because they received the Word with all readiness of mind and searched the Scriptures daily to check what they heard from Paul. In 1 Corinthians 11:17, Paul tells the Corinthians that their coming together is "not for the better, but for the worse," and verse 18 says he hears there are divisions among them when they come together in the church. The Bible's emphasis is on testing what is taught by the Word itself, not on a building, denomination, or membership in a local institution.
Les Feldick explains that the local church is not minimized because he is against churches. He says plainly, "I'm not against the church. Not at all," and has never told anyone to quit going to church. Instead, his concern is that many believers stay trapped in denominational blinders. He says denominations all build walls around their people, and if someone is in a denomination where they don't hear truth, they are "out of luck." So instead of promoting any particular church, he urges believers to get into the Book, search the Scriptures, and learn to discern truth from the Word by the Holy Spirit's wisdom. Les tells everyone that the membership they must be sure of is membership in the body of Christ, not the biggest or smallest church in town. He also points out that Paul's early churches were small groups of believers in homes, not huge edifices.
No. In Clip6 Les says, "I'm not against the church. Not at all," and he says he has never told anyone to quit going to their church. In Clip4 he explains that he has never encouraged anyone to leave their particular church, and that believers don't have to leave to follow his teaching. Rather, he teaches so that believers can go into their churches and share these things with others.
Les says he doesn't trumpet any particular denomination and wants people to "get into the book" and take away denominational blinders. He notes that denominations all build a wall around their people, and those who don't hear truth in their denomination are "out of luck." He uses the Bereans as an example: they searched the Scriptures daily to see if Paul's teaching was true. His goal is not to proselyte but to help people discern from the Word, with the Holy Spirit giving wisdom.
Les tells everyone, "Don't worry about whether you're a member of the biggest church in town or the smallest... Are you a member of the body of Christ?" He also explains that Paul didn't set up huge edifices but placed small groups of believers in homes. So the local church is not the primary emphasis; the body of Christ is.
Why Did Adam's Sin Affect All of Us? Romans 5:10-14
circumstance. But he can say over and over, like in Philippians, rejoice. And again I say rejoice. See that's the other word from the root word joy, and that is a spiritual attribute. When we have eternal life, regardless of whether we're happy or not, we have that joy that is unspeakable. And that's why believers don't necessarily have to enjoy a lot of the world's goods.
No Denomination Trumpeted
Les intentionally refuses to trumpet any particular denomination. He wants believers to get into the Book, remove denominational blinders, and search the Scriptures rather than rely on what they've always heard.
Search the Scriptures Daily
Les uses the Bereans as his example: after hearing teaching, they searched the Scriptures daily to see if it was true. He says he doesn't proselyte or try to get a person to leave where he is; he simply teaches the Word.
Denominational Walls
Les says denominations all build a wall around their people, and believers in a denomination where they don't hear truth are out of luck. His ministry is knocking down walls so people discern from the Word by itself.
Never Encouraged Leaving a Church
Les tells of a pastor who was shocked that his deacons and Sunday school teachers attended Les's class. Les has never encouraged anyone to leave their church; he teaches so believers can go into their churches and share what they learn.
The Membership That Matters
Les redirects the focus from local church membership to the body of Christ. He tells people not to worry about whether they belong to the biggest or smallest church, but to be sure they are members of the body of Christ.
Not Against the Church
Les says explicitly that he is not against the church and has never told anyone to quit going. He notes that for years he has taught small groups outside the church environment without opposition.
The Early Church Was in Homes
Les describes the church in the New Testament as a small group in a living room or patio, not a great edifice. He points out that the Corinthians came together in the church for the worse because of divisions.
Acts 17:11: These were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so.
This verse is Les's pattern for testing all teaching against the Word, including teaching about the local church.
1 Corinthians 11:17: Now in this that I declare unto you I praise you not, that ye come together not for the better, but for the worse.
Paul warns that gathering as a local church can actually be harmful when things are done wrongly.
1 Corinthians 11:18: For first of all, when ye come together in the church, I hear that there be divisions among you; and I partly believe it.
Divisions in the local church show why a building or a local gathering is not the ultimate standard of truth.
No. Les says, "I'm not against the church. Not at all," and has never told anyone to quit going to their church. He simply doesn't make the local church the center of his teaching; the Word of God and the body of Christ are his focus.
No. He says he has never encouraged anyone to leave their particular church. He teaches so believers can remain in their churches and share what they learn with others.
He emphasizes getting believers into the Book, removing denominational blinders, and making sure they are members of the body of Christ. He wants people to search the Scriptures and discern truth from the Word by the Holy Spirit's wisdom.
Watch the Teaching: Why Did Adam's Sin Affect All of Us? Romans 5:10-14