Church discipline

What actions should churches take against erring members?

By John Armistead

Daily Journal

The exercise of church discipline, while common in Mississippi churches a century ago, is rarely used in today's congregations. In generations past, church members who strayed beyond the boundaries of the community's accepted code for moral behavior were often called to task and even expelled from the church until they demonstrated repentance.

The code of churches in rural 19th-century Northeast Mississippi was very strict, in part because of the loose, frontier lifestyle of times. Towns such as Tupelo had far more saloons than churches, and red light districts were common.

Many churches did not hesitate to chasten members for dancing, drinking, gambling, and sexual transgressions.

The Baptist church in Belmont expelled five members in one year for various causes.

First in the towns, however, and then in the countryside, church discipline faltered, then, for the most part, passed out of use in the early decades of the 20th century.

Part of the reason for its demise may have been that it focused too narrowly on too many "sins" which more and more church members did not think were all that important. But, also, maintaining church discipline can be excruciatingly painful to both pastor and congregation, not to mention the offender. The easier path was simply to ignore unacceptable behavior altogether.

While almost all churches retain specific and swift discipline toward erring clergy, the use of discipline in regard to the laity has all but passed out of existence.

What is the state of church discipline today? Do any churches still practice it? If so, how effective is it? Why don't more church practice church discipline?

Handling things discretely

During the 11 years the Rev. Don Baggett has been pastor of Belden Baptist Church, no matters of church discipline have come before the congregation. However, Baggett does see a need for the careful use of church discipline.

"I think that maybe they were a little too strict in the old days on some things that were not of major consequence," he said, "and I think it's good that we're not as quick to bring people before the congregation now. But there are definitely some things the Bible tells us we are to take action on, and we do have a responsibility to speak to people and act redemptively if we see them walking disorderly."

Baggett makes a distinction between people who are in leadership positions in the congregation and those who are not.

"If we've got someone who is just an attender, as pastor I would want to talk with then if there was some impropriety," he said. "But if it is a Sunday school teacher or person in leadership or a high visibility position, something has to be done."

So far, Baggett has been able to handle all such cases one-on-one.

"There are definitely instances where discipline is in order, and in my judgment we would be wrong if we did away with church discipline," he said. "But I think it should be handled discretely."

A painful process

First Evangelical Church in Tupelo has exercised church discipline on very rare occasions, and, as the Rev. Tim Lampley points out, the experience is always extremely painful.

"It's been very difficult for me, but we've had to do it before."

Lampley says that the church bases its procedure on Matthew 18. In Matthew 18, Jesus instructed his disciples to go to a brother who had sinned and talk one-on-one. If that fails to lead him to correct his error, then two are to go talk to him. If he still fails to respond, Jesus says, "Tell it to the church, and if he refused to listen to the church, let him be unto you as a pagan and a tax collector."

"It's never been just my decision, but it's always involved our total elder leadership," said Lampley. "And it's never been on our heart to be on a witch hunt. Whenever we've had to exercise discipline, it's because it's become known to us that someone in the church is involved in blatant sin that is grieving the heart of God, and is unwilling to change and to fall back in line with what the Scripture teaches."

If an initial one-on-one visit fails to bring a change, the pastor and an elder would make another visit.

"We want it to be a genuinely redemptive process," said Lampley. "Without fail it's been expressed to the individual and the church that it's been our goal to see that individual restored to the church fellowship."

Lampley acknowledges that church discipline is often misunderstood.

"But I've been very pleased to be associated with a church that cares enough about the name of Christ and the integrity of the church itself to carry through with that kind of discipline," he said.

Restoring the church member

Lawndale Presbyterian Church (PCA) of Tupelo also practices church discipline, according to the Rev. Tim Fortner, pastor.

"The word discipline is the root for disciple, and discipleship means to bring a person in all aspects of his life under the authority of Christ," he said. "We believe the church should exercise the authority Christ gave us in Matthew 16 and 18."

At Lawndale there are three level of discipline.

The first is preventive," said Fortner. "We have membership classes in preparation for joining the church, and after that, they are taken before the elders and asked to tell their own story of how they came to know Christ."

New members also make vows before the congregation.

"We try to make coming into the church a very serious matter," Fortner said. "I think these preventive steps make them understand that church membership is serious."

The second level of church discipline is instruction. In addition to Sunday school and expository preaching in the services on Sunday, there are 25-30 small groups that meet in homes and businesses around town, according to Fortner.

"We try to prepare people to know the Scriptures and live by them," he said.

The third level is corrective.

"If you do the first two right, the corrective is pretty rare," said Fortner.

The church follows the steps of Matthew 18, which are private admonition followed by establishing each fact by two or three witnesses.

"If they don't respond, it's told to the church in a closed meeting or we do it by registered mail," said Fortner. "We don't tell everything, but enough to convey the broad outlines of the offense. And we call for withdrawal of fellowship based on Matthew 18 and 1 Corinthians 5."

Fortner says there are three purposes of church discipline.

"The primary purpose is to honor Christ. When someone names the name of Christ and doesn't live the Christian life, he dishonors Christ."

The second purpose is for "the peace and purity of the church."

"And the third purpose is to reclaim the church member," said Fortner. "It's a humble ministerial approach, not a heavy-handed judgmental approach. A lot of this is based on the quality of the fellowship. If we know each other, I'll be received as a friend."

Active reconciliation

The Rev. Bruce McMillen, pastor of Christ Episcopal Church in Holly Springs, doesn't know of any actions of church discipline toward laity in his denomination, but he has been giving the idea serious thought because of a situation in his own church.

"When somebody in the church continues to be flagrant in some things, it would seem something needs to be done," said McMillen. "I have thought about excommunication, but I'd have to talk to the bishop about that."

In the Episcopal Church, discipline would involve withholding sacraments.

"This would be for those who were, as the old Prayer Book said, "notorious livers."

The church has taken a different approach today, however, in dealing with the wayward.

"I think the church has moved more to a stance of active reconciliation, whereas it used to say, This is the way it is, and if you cross that line, you're out,'" said McMillen. "As for excommunication, I think that's a pretty arcane way of dealing with people and their shortcomings. As clergy, we want to restore people and not cast them out as our first response."

The practice of forgiveness

The United Methodist Church has definite procedures for dealing with offending members in its book of discipline, according to the Rev. Jack Nabors, district superintendent of the New Albany District of the Mississippi Conference.

"We try to make people understand that when they make a commitment to Christ, they are to live a life of accountability," he said. "And if they have done something that's very grievoussexual immorality or harrassment, or something involving children, that person cannot be in any leadership position or have any access to children. That's just common sense."

Most local congregations handle such matters instinctively and discretely, according to Nabors.

"But we don't have in the United Methodist Church an excommunication type of discipline," he said. "We don't throw people out of the membership."

A church needs to take a pastoral approach to dealing with a problem member and work for reconciliation.

"Persons are not removed from membership and are still extended ministry, but the practice of forgiveness doesn't mean we let anything go," said Nabors. "We have to hold each other accountable."