Featured Church members who have not been attending

You want someone to stop attending church (other than for good cause: military service,
medical, so forth) based on your actions, or inaction?

I stopped going to church for good cause (at least locally): in a fairly good sized community,
but still small enough to where everybody practically knows everybody. That's how people
develop this 'Mayberry'-complex, and Christian's are no exception. You be suprised how
the word of an unsaved person, who may very well be a respected pillar in the community,
but is still unsaved, is accepted more as "gospel" and then complains to the Pastor over
something you either did wrong, or you didn't, but it makes no difference.

Most Christian's, Pastor's most definitely, will err on the side of caution and assume wrongdoing.
After all, it's the day and age we live in, right?

You're brought before the Pastor to answer for your 'indiscretions' while you're not given the chance
to explain your side of the story.

I've been a member of this church from 1998 to 2015.

I'm an investigator. I also work for a born-again Christian bailbondsman who occasionally requests my
services to "go git 'em". I do have the credentials to qualify my line of work. I also work part time for
a well-known pizza franchise. When I arrest a bail jumper, I have a captive audience when I share
the Gospel (very careful not to cast my pearls before swine). All I can do is counsel and release to
the sheriff of the jurisdiction he fled from. I will not pursue, let alone arrest a female bond jumper.
Too messy.

So what's the problem?

I investigated someone fleeing another state. He used to live here and has family and friends
here as well. His major vice is pornography, and we have two porn palaces in our city. One is
too many, let alone two. I went to both palaces, ID'd myself and handed the wanted flyers to
the proprietor and one proprietress. Yes, I know what was around me, and yes, I'm aware of
the clientele there. When I ID'd myself, showed the flyers, three customers walked out the
door.

So, what exactly is the problem again?

A local, well-to-do-businessman, with notability in the community said he passed by this
place, after picking up his vehicle from the auto repair shop four blocks way, recognized
me because we met at my church awhile back. He called the Pastor and pretty much ratted
me out. After the Pastor spoke with me in his office, he wouldn't listen to a thing I said.

Three days later I received a letter in the mail, informing me that I've been placed on suspension
for six months for "unChristian activity". I was not to contact any of the members or church officers
for any reason, pending full time Christian counseling.

Two weeks later, one of the women who heard about it all, from my (former) church walked up to me
at WalMart telling me "No Christian has any business in that line of work! I've seen enough television,
and I read the newspaper! That's ungodly work and the Bible say's you are to to separate yourself from
all ungodliness!" And she walks away.

A couple of stranger's standing nearby were put off, and one of them remarked: "What's her malfunction?"

So, one can surmise that I've been more than removed from the church mailing list.

I know you didn't ask for all this, but someone has to say something when (some) Pastor's
write checks their egos can't cash.

 

It is really a matter for individual churches to determine for themselves.

 

It has only been a problem at our church when close votes will be held. People I have not seen in years show up to vote.

 

Depends on the member. If they just leave and you never hear from them again, I don't think there's any given time frame, but three months sounds about right. Church discipline would have to be applied in absentia.

If it's somebody you know is not attending or participating for a reason (eg. snowbirds, shut in, illness in the family, work, military deployment, etc) then, obviously, you would work with them to determine that it isn't a spiritual problem and find a compromise to see how they could serve and be served by the church the best they can in their current situation.

If somebody defects to another religion like Mormonism, then, obviously, that's a whole different set of problems. Church discipline and heavy counselling is needed and if it turns out that they have left the faith, then, obviously you drop them from the rolls.

 

In our church, it wouldn't get that far. We understand that people have issues that come up and may not be able to attend every Sunday and we don't make attendance a law. We're not Catholics with "days of obligation". But that being said, we notice when people aren't there and a gentle, "Hey, didn't see you yesterday in church. Just calling to make sure everything's OK" is usually sufficient.

If the answer is "My husband and kids are sick" then we take them some food and ask how we can minister to them.

If they're regular attenders and the answer is, "We just haven't had any time as a family this week so we decided to spend the day at the beach together", that's fine.

If there is no reason and it's an ongoing thing, then we ask if there's anything wrong and how we can help. If necessary, we start discipline.

 

Bro....you are dealing with a cult. Sorry to say.

 

Our church rules state that any member who does not attend communion in six moths should be visited by the pastor. Although they don't say what happens after that.
As regards to visiting students we believe they should continue to be members of their own church where they will return during their holidays. Our church has a policy of only allowing members to assist in any activities, however small. As we are a very small church this presented us with a problem when we had some very commited young students, so we added associate membership for those, on agreement with their own church. This did not allow them to vote at members metings.

 

Our pastor only visits his close friends. If you are not on that list, you are out of luck. When I was deacon chairman, we had some huge dust ups over that issue.

 

He is not, and that is why the church in 4 years has gone from 425 on Sunday to 60.

 

Yes they are. The deep pockets. The pillars. The old guard.

 

Traditionally we have had the provision one year without attendance or support. I don't have any feeling beyond that. Through lack of attendance people remove themselves. I make two or thee visits during the year and if they fail to attend there is nothing except prayer to offer. At the same time I feel both a sense of loss and personal failure. However, I do get over it.

 

I'm some situations when there is a problem in church the trouble makers are energized by the controversy and they encourage non-attenders to come and vote for their issue. Just one of several reasons to maintain clean records. We continue to support them with care and prayer.

Military persons have always been maintained unless they ask r
For transfer. If after discharge they do not attend, remove.