I would answer along two lines: as far as you need, and not too far. With regard to both lines, I plead with you: put your soul first. People often make decisions about jobs, studies, relationships, and the like, with Christ’s church an afterthought – the one institution which he established on earth for the propagation and preservation of his kingdom of grace, to be the pillar and ground of the truth (1 Timothy 3:15).
Remember our Lord’s command and assurance, ‘seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things [food, drink, clothing, and other such concerns] shall be added to you’ (Matthew 6:33). Christ’s commission in Matthew 28 assumes participation in and care from a particular church, played out in the labours of the apostles. The church is the greenhouse in which young spiritual plants grow, the garden where mature trees bear sweet fruit. Make a holy, healthy, happy church your priority, determined to benefit from and invest in its holiness, healthiness, and happiness.
So, with regard to the first line, I say, ‘As far as you need.’ I am not encouraging distance. I urge you to find a faithful church where the preaching is sound and sweet, where the fellowship and discipline are true and warm, where the ordinances are faithfully observed (there are differences of opinion here, and your conscience must be clear).
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