“Notice Of Cancellation”

Saturday, November 02, 2013

When can a preacher revoke your church membership?

Sincerely,
Benched

Dear Benched,

A preacher doesn’t have the right to revoke someone’s church membership.  Withdrawing from a christian is a last-ditch effort and is the collective decision of a congregation.  Jesus said that when a brother or sister was living a sinful life, they should be approached individually before the church got involved (Matt 18:15-17).  The church should only withdraw from someone after they have proven themselves unwilling to repent and listen to the Scriptures (2 Thess 3:6).  The textbook example of church discipline can be found in 1 Corinthians 5 where Paul instructed the church to withdraw from a man who had an illicit relationship with his father’s wife.  There is a time for discipline, but it is always a last resort for the church to save the soul of a wayward saint (2 Thess 3:14-15).  There are no Bible examples of a preacher individually revoking a christian’s membership.

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