The growing popularity of church discipline
From the Wall Street Journal Online…
On a quiet Sunday morning in June, as worshippers settled into the pews at
Allen Baptist Church in southwestern Michigan, Pastor Jason Burrick grabbed his cellphone and dialed 911. When a dispatcher answered, the preacher said a former congregant was in the sanctuary. “And we need to, um, have her out A.S.A.P.”
Half an hour later, 71-year-old Karolyn Caskey, a church member for nearly 50 years who had taught Sunday school and regularly donated 10% of her pension, was led out by a state trooper and a county sheriff’s officer. One held her purse and Bible. The other put her in handcuffs. (Listen to the 911 call)
The charge was trespassing, but Mrs. Caskey’s real offense, in her pastor’s view, was spiritual. Several months earlier, when she had questioned his authority, he’d charged her with spreading “a spirit of cancer and discord” and expelled her from the congregation. “I’ve been shunned,” she says.
Her story reflects a growing movement among some conservative Protestant pastors to bring back church discipline, an ancient practice in which suspected sinners are privately confronted and then publicly castigated and excommunicated if they refuse to repent. While many Christians find such practices outdated, pastors in large and small churches across the country are expelling members for offenses ranging from adultery and theft to gossiping, skipping service and criticizing church leaders. (Source and the rest of the Story)
What is interesting about this article is that it seems to be implying that church discipline is being used more as a tool for congregational politics with the reasoning being that sins against leadership are just as damaging to the church as others sins.
As I reflect on my experience, it seems to me like sins of gossip, slander, and division can be more damaging to the body of Christ than say, adultery. But I also fear pastors using this far to liberally when the problem is poor leadership on the part of the pastor.
What do you think?
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February 10th, 2008 at 5:54 pm
Gossip and such can be damaging to a congregation, but expulsion does nothing to solve that. Do you really think escalating the tension and bad feelings between pastor and congregation and among congregants does any good? Churches need to find ways for church members to live together in a loving community, not boot people who annoy the pastor.
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February 10th, 2008 at 6:03 pm
Justin….I hope I did not imply I was for booting members who annoy the pastor, but gossip and slander are more damaging to a church than the sins we exercise church discipline for.
That being said, I have to think there is a time and place for doing such, but none of the examples this story cited seemed to meet such a criteria. The sin would have to be quite extreme.
Thanks for leaving a comment.
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