...except after "C"

Claim: "Any who publically*[sic] oppose their interprettion*[sic] of the scripture are labeled as sinners, and disciplined accordingly."

This is just one of a number of similar claims made privately and publicly through various channels including printed letters, blog postings, phone calls and hallway conversations. The summary is always similar - someone or someones have been disciplined or excommunicated in a manner inconsistent with the Bible or with our constitution for mere disagreement or for some outwardly innocent act.

Truth: As spelled out over the course of multiple messages on the biblical practice of church discipline, and consistent with the current constitution, the process of church discipline (in its final steps of "tell it to the church" and "let him be to you as a Gentile and a tax collector" according to Matthew 18) is carried out in three primary cases: (1) for gross moral misconduct such as adultery, (2) for heresy such as preaching salvation in any other name than Jesus, and (3) for spreading strife and sowing discord in the body. For any of these to go to these final steps, the accused must be (a) unrepentant and (b) confronted Biblically.

Since 2003, only two such cases have been identified.

In the first, a member who was pursuing an unbiblical divorce was confronted with the sin of adultery, was unrepentant throughout the process, and was notified that their name was to be presented to the congregation for the purpose of collective prayer and an urgent call to repentance from the church body. This communication was met with threat of litigation and the member was allowed to withdraw their membership (even though the constitution stipulates this may not occur while under the final two steps of discipline).

In the second, a member who was involved in a habit of gossip and spreading lies was confronted with the sin of causing division, was unrepentant throughout the process, and was notified that their name was to be presented to the congregation for the purpose of collective prayer and an urgent call to repentance from the church body. After this announcement occurred, the sinning member made a decision to remove themselves from the fellowship of the body, and the board of elders consented even though it would have been right (constitutionally and biblically) to bring the matter again before the church body for dismissal. Instead, the elders closed the loop of communication and indicated they were in agreement that by the member's own choice they had broken fellowship with the body and that it would inappropriate to continue in Christian fellowship until and unless the person repented.

Let me be crystal clear on this point: since 2003, no individual member has been disciplined by the church to the point of dismissal from membership. The number is zero.
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