Church Discipline

Okay so I am just curious at how you all would deal with certain scenarios as either an individual or as the church.

If a man on staff has committed an emotional affair.

How do you handle
If a woman on staff is pregnant but not married.

If a man on staff comes out as gay.

If people come in to attend but continue living in unrepentant sin then how long do you risk the leavening of the church?

Do you often implement the witness of 2 or 3 and how often like in Paul's example do you cast someone back over into Satan's grips with hopes of bringing godly repentance and reconciliation?

So how do you correct or rebuke as an individual or discipline as a church?

My local Mennonite Church would ban any and all of them if they did not change their wicked ways.

So is the church empty lol

What’s an emotional affair?

Well,I've been through several church splits. In one situation the pastor's son was the one who came out as gay. And he was involved in music in the church in a big way. Half of the church were angry and wanted the pastor to leave, half wanted him to stay and said the wrong was his son's not his. In the end the pressure of it all became too much even though the son moved on to college. They left the church and went further south. Hard situation to deal with.

My lead pastor said the church wont condemn but neither will they condone in regards to sin.

We would follow the Matthew 18 process of discipline for any persistent sin and the ones mentioned. Although this isn't easy, and there is 6 of us. .with 3 adults.

This one is a very tough one to deal with.
It would not be too difficult to identify some degree of sinful practice in almost everyone.

From gluttony to coveting and unforgiveness through to greed, these would probably catch most folk out.

It depends on how deep a line you draw in the sand.

If the line includes sinful thoughts and everything that is not of faith is sin. Your going to be very busy removing people from fellowship.

If you are speaking of a sexual affair, and that person was a Board Member or held some Office within the Congregaiton; then the Pastor and one or two of the Elder Members should privately speak with the person and tell them to repent and end the affair, or they would be removed from their Office.

How do you handle
If a woman on staff is pregnant but not married.

There could be reasons for this to occur which would not exclude the woman from serving. Same approach as above though.

If a man on staff comes out as gay.

Man or woman, does not matter. If this occurs, they would be removed from the Staff or their Office, whatever. As well, the same approach as above should be used to explain to that person that should they choose to live the lifestyle of gays/lesbians, they would be asked to leave the Congregation. If they chose to fully repent, and ask God to forgive them, and seek to live a lifestyle pleasing to God, then the Congregation should support them in that endeavor.

If people come in to attend but continue living in unrepentant sin then how long do you risk the leavening of the church?

It is not unusual for there to be unsaved persons within a Congregation. Congregations around the world all have them! All of the Congregation should work to convert such a person, and, as long as they are not causing disruptions within the Church Service, I see no reason to ask them to leave. Jesus said "seventy times seven" in forgiving, and maybe seventy times seven will be required to bring such a person to a "come to Jesus" moment.

If a person, saved or not, is causing disruptions within Church Services, then that person should immediately be confronted by the Pastor and two or more Elders and told to cease with such actions, or leave the Church. If necessary, then two or more of the men of the Congregation should "escort" the person out of the Church building. Also, if necessary, a Peace Bond should be obtained to keep that person from returning and causing any further disruptions.

F.Y.I.

I have seen professed "saved" members of a Congregation cause far more disruptions than an unrepentent sinner. That is how so many Congregational "splits" occur.

On occasion, the Pastor alone should FIRST speak with a person. If it can be resolved in that way, fine. If necessary, then the Pastor and two or more of the Elder Members are to speak with the person and seek to resolve whatever issue is occurring. If necessary, and I have only ever seen it happen one time in over thirty years, then the person causing disruption should be removed from the Congregation. This is usually done by the entire Congregation simply because things had to have gotten bad enough to require the entire Congregation to respond to the person.

F.Y.I. deux:

The Congregational Service time within the life of the Church IS NOT intended for proselytizing the unsaved. It is intended to be a time of praise and worshiping of God. As well as the Pastor "feeding the sheep" with the Word of God. And a time of Christian fellowship among the Congregational members. It is a time for the children of God to celebrate God and grow in love and harmony with each other.

Depends how picky you want to be. Persistent unrepentant sin isn’t always obvious. Sure it’s easy to observe when someone does or says they’ve been doing the same thing over and over, but what about things we can’t see?

I guess if we were able to glimpse inside the heart of each other and see all of the sin there then there’d be non-stop confrontations day and night.

Matthew 15:19,20
19For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false testimony, and slander. 20These are what defile a man, but eating with unwashed hands does not defile him.”

Jesus said that evil comes out of the heart. Without even lifting a finger, without even speaking a word, because of someone’s heart they could be in a state of perpetual sin.

The key question here to ask everyone, I believe, is “Do want to not be a sinner?” And if the answer is yes then we should afford the same amount of grace to someone who sins in their heart as the person who sins out in the open.

I would think the "Scriptural way" is best, as it is God's way!

For those of you who don't know what the Scriptures say about disciplining etc., I suggest you make that your next study!

I know from study thaqt we are to treat non-blievers as such, have nothing to do wiwth them beyone being an example of love and faith .

If it is someone in the cogregation who is unrepentant after specking to the individual with one or two other members of the congregation present, then treat the person as a non-believer *not a member of the congregation.)

As for judging beyond this, it is not given us to judge others to total separation from our Savior, so let us love the individual as we would any other heathen You never know their hearts nor just who they really may turn out to be.

Getting there.

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First of all you rebuke or correct them amd step them down from any office or staff position. If they dont repent we bar them from The Lord's Supper. If they further fail to repent then removal from the congregation, at which point they wont be able to join any Lutheran congregation. They will be basically placed ina position that they must repent or join another denomination.

Biblically you are to rebuke them twice, first one on one then with an elder perhaps. If they refuse to repent they are out of fellowship with the church.

In churches today this is not done and we just let them hang around forever. Reason for this is most people in the pews could care less and live as they please all week then go to church on sunday. That is very common.

If someone who was in a staff position or on a serving team, was caught in sin, was made to step down, repented, then how long until they should be trusted with being out back on staff or a serve team like band, greeters, cleaning, yard work, etc?

Like flirting, sending pictures, or lusting but with no physical contact. While you are married or in a relationship with another.

1Co 5:9 I wrote unto you in an epistle not to company with fornicators:
1Co 5:10 Yet not altogether with the fornicators of this world, or with the covetous, or extortioners, or with idolaters; for then must ye needs go out of the world.
1Co 5:11 But now I have written unto you not to keep company, if any man that is called a brother be a fornicator, or covetous, or an idolater, or a railer, or a drunkard, or an extortioner; with such an one no not to eat.
1Co 5:12 For what have I to do to judge them also that are without? do not ye judge them that are within?
1Co 5:13 But them that are without God judgeth. Therefore put away from among yourselves that wicked person.

It’s sad those things happen within the confines of the Body of Christ.

At first I would edify people in a gracious manner rather than a punitive manner. If things persisted I would follow the guidelines as found in Matthew 18.