Christians have not changed too much since those early days. The church split advertises that compassion, kindness and forgiveness have all passed their use by date. The community of love is hijacked by lesser agendas. The Gospel is no longer the Good News. On Being Accident Prone There are various species of church splits.
Some churches are simply accident prone.
There is a long history of bitterness, division, mistrust and antagonism. Pastors come and go often leaving under a cloud. In some cases this unholy record can be traced back to the very early days of the church. Cyclical trauma becomes the hallmark for decades on end. Usually long on doctrine but short on relationships, it is no wonder that such churches live most of their lives on the plateau.