Methodology
How this site documents a church: what is measured, what counts as evidence, and what is left out.
Tiers
See all tiers and the topics in each
Essential to Christianity. Pass/fail gate; failure flags the church as outside historic orthodoxy.
Divides churches and denominations, not believers. Scored only against the seeker's chosen lens.
Believers differ within one church. Displayed, never scored.
Does the church do what it says?. Scored for everyone.
Rubric
Each church that is evaluated receives a separate grade in each dimension. Grades are not added together, and no church receives a single combined score.
Letter grades start at 90 for A, 80 for B, 70 for C, 60 for D, on a scale of 100. Confidence is high with at least 8 items no older than 24 months, and medium with at least 3 items no older than 48 months. With less than that, the dimension reads “Insufficient data” instead of a grade.
Preaching
Share of sermons that are expository
Scripture read and explained per sermon
Gospel clarity
Breadth of the canon covered in 12 months
Consistency
Do stated positions match what is preached and what the bylaws say?
Leadership
Qualifications per 1 Tim 3 / Titus 1 addressed
Accountability above the senior pastor
Family concentration among leaders
Shepherding
Elders know and visit members
Elder-to-member ratio
Self-understanding as a covenant body vs. an organization
Membership & discipline
Discipline of members
Defined process for charges against an elder, heard by someone other than the accused
Restoration practiced
Stability
Splits and lawsuits; context recorded (a split over doctrine is not equal to a split over carpet)
Pastor tenure and elder turnover
Congregational health
Congregational survey results and teaching-to-pew gap
Transparency
Published bylaws, statement of faith, financials, elder list, sermon archive
Questionnaire completed
Sacraments & worship
Lord's Supper and baptism practiced as stated
Scripture in worship
Red flags
Red flags are shown separately and are never averaged into a grade.
- Tier 1 failure
- Prosperity teaching
- Senior pastor accountable to no one
- More than 50% of leaders from one family
- Repeated splits within 10 years
- No discipline provision and none practiced
- Discipline for members but none for elders/pastors/staff
Lenses
A lens compares a church with a confessional tradition. It may change which topics count at the orthodoxy gate. It does not change the evidence.
1689 Reformed Baptist
Churches holding the Second London Baptist Confession.
Requires a stated position on 9 topics.
General evangelical
Scores Tier 1 and practice only; takes no side on Tier 2 questions.
Requires a stated position on 0 topics.
Presbyterian (PCA / OPC)
Conservative Presbyterian churches holding the Westminster Standards.
Requires a stated position on 9 topics.
Reformed
Broadly Reformed confessional churches (Westminster or Three Forms of Unity).
Requires a stated position on 7 topics.
Southern Baptist
Churches holding the Baptist Faith & Message 2000.
Requires a stated position on 4 topics.
The ninth-commandment standard
Published statements follow the Westminster Larger Catechism's account of the ninth commandment: verifiable facts, not characterizations. No member who is not a leader is ever named in a report, and a church may post its response beside any finding. Findings of medium severity or higher need a person's approval before publication. A finding without evidence cannot be published.
Larger Catechism 144: What are the duties required in the ninth commandment?
The duties required in the ninth commandment are, the preserving and promoting of truth between man and man, and the good name of our neighbor, as well as our own; appearing and standing for the truth; and from the heart, sincerely, freely, clearly, and fully, speaking the truth, and only the truth, in matters of judgment and justice, and in all other things whatsoever; a charitable esteem of our neighbors; loving, desiring, and rejoicing in their good name; sorrowing for, and covering of their infirmities; freely acknowledging of their gifts and graces, defending their innocency; a ready receiving of a good report, and unwillingness to admit of an evil report, concerning them; discouraging talebearers, flatterers, and slanderers; love and care of our own good name, and defending it when need requireth; keeping of lawful promises; studying and practicing of whatsoever things are true, honest, lovely, and of good report.
Larger Catechism 145: What are the sins forbidden in the ninth commandment?
The sins forbidden in the ninth commandment are, all prejudicing the truth, and the good name of our neighbors, as well as our own, especially in public judicature; giving false evidence, suborning false witnesses, wittingly appearing and pleading for an evil cause, outfacing and overbearing the truth; passing unjust sentence, calling evil good, and good evil; rewarding the wicked according to the work of the righteous, and the righteous according to the work of the wicked; forgery, concealing the truth, undue silence in a just cause, and holding our peace when iniquity calleth for either a reproof from ourselves, or complaint to others; speaking the truth unseasonably, or maliciously to a wrong end, or perverting it to a wrong meaning, or in doubtful and equivocal expressions, to the prejudice of truth or justice; speaking untruth, lying, slandering, backbiting, detracting, tale bearing, whispering, scoffing, reviling, rash, harsh, and partial censuring; misconstructing intentions, words, and actions; flattering, vainglorious boasting, thinking or speaking too highly or too meanly of ourselves or others; denying the gifts and graces of God; aggravating smaller faults; hiding, excusing, or extenuating of sins, when called to a free confession; unnecessary discovering of infirmities; raising false rumors, receiving and countenancing evil reports, and stopping our ears against just defense; evil suspicion; envying or grieving at the deserved credit of any, endeavoring or desiring to impair it, rejoicing in their disgrace and infamy; scornful contempt, fond admiration; breach of lawful promises; neglecting such things as are of good report, and practicing, or not avoiding ourselves, or not hindering: What we can in others, such things as procure an ill name.
Exclusions policy
Bodies outside historic orthodoxy (Category A) and bodies with an official departure on marriage and sexuality (Category B) are not graded. A church in such a body shows a “Not evaluated” card with the official action, its source, and Scripture, and nothing else. A congregation in the process of disaffiliating shows that note, and is evaluated once disaffiliation is complete. Exclusions describe official actions of a body, not the faith of any person in it.
Semper reformanda review
The church is always to be reformed by the Word. These standards are held to that as well. Tiers, positions, lenses, the rubric, and the exclusion list are kept as data rather than fixed in the software, so they can be corrected when they are shown to be wrong. Denominational entries are reviewed each year against official sources, and changes keep their history.