Neal Pollard
With our congregation set to go through the terribly unpleasant process of withdrawing fellowship from some on Sunday, I have heard the usual concern and questions about the process. Among the many things typically heard is, “I have never before seen it practiced.” That is undoubtedly true, given my experience as one who has grown up in the Lord’s church and having seen it so rarely practiced. I have some observations, in my experience, that suggest why it is so rarely practiced today.
- It Takes Uncommon Courage On The Part Of Elders
- It Takes So Much Time To Do Right
- It Takes Such Wisdom To Proceed
- It Takes An Extraordinary Measure Of Trust And Unity On The Part Of Members
- It Takes A Deep, Involved Study Of The Bible To Avoid Gross Misunderstandings
- It Takes Protracted, Passionate Prayer On The Part Of All
- It Takes Humble Submission To Scripture In An Age Of Rebellion
- It Takes Unpleasant Action Toward The Wayward Among Our Spiritual Family
- It Takes A Dedication To Stay The Course Amid Strong Emotion And The Disapproval Of Some
- It Takes Unwavering Impartiality
- It Takes A Willingness To Do The Unpopular
- It Takes A Preacher Willing To Give Vocal Support And Encouragement To Elders In And Out Of The Pulpit
- It Takes Profound Compassion And Transparent Love From Beginning To End
- It Takes A Clear Understanding Of What Follows The Last Step Of The Process
Perhaps if churches will begin to tackle some of these issues, church discipline will cease to be the forgotten commandment and stronger, more dedicated churches will result.
The Preacher Pollard Blog 
I believe the body of Christ is slow to excommunicate an individual because they are hoping and praying for change in that individual. They are hoping that with more sermons and more bible studies, that person will get the message and apply the Lord’s truth(s) in their lives. I myself do not find that the brethren of the church of Christ (overall) are perfect in every understanding they have obtained in every area they have studied although they have done some remarkable studies in searching for the truth. We are all sinners and if we say we have no sin, we decieve ourselves and the truth of our Lord is not in us. 1 John 1:8
Thanks for the thoughts, Karen. Incidentally, what we did at Bear Valley yesterday was not the same as the Catholic practice of excommunication. We have no ecclesiastical society, it is not a formal declaration with regard to well known church of Christ members to distance ourselves from them, and we have no sacramental rights. If I understand that proceeding correctly (I read the definition and explanation on newadvent.org–the Catholic Encyclopedia–to better my understanding of their practice). Our elders (1 Tim. 3; Titus 1; 1 Pet. 5:1-4; Acts 20:28) agonized over what to do to try and restore and retrieve members of our congregation that had fallen away for various reasons. They made personal contact, pleaded with them, ultimately asked the whole church to do the same, and then finally, yesterday, announced to the whole church that we are not in fellowship with these brothers and sisters any longer. We are to still try and plead with them to return (2 Thess. 3:15), and I am hopeful that some, if not all, will return. You are right. None of us, whether preachers preaching sermons, elders leading this process, or members following it, can approach this as if we are without sin. Certainly, there’s a difference between those striving to walk in the light who sin (1 John 1:7-10) and those who leave the light to walk in darkness (1 John 1:6).
Again, thanks for reading and for the comments.
In hope of eternal life,
Neal
We need to educate the Church itself. Church discipline does not start with the elders, but rather with individual members (Matt. 18). A congregation is supposed to be a family, comprised of brothers and sisters who know each other intimately, and are thus willing to get involved in each others’ lives. Sadly, this is rarely so.