Excommunicated At Last!

Hi Robert,
There has not been an excommunication in my local church in decades. In fact, the last record of church discipline is in the 1930's, and that person was restored.

More often than not, a person gets mad at the pastor, or something about the church or its policy and leaves. Since there is a church on ever corner, it is quite a simple procedure.

There is quite a difference is losing fellowship because you are fighting for the truth and losing fellowship for blatant sin. It sounds like yours is the former. In that case, I would not give it a second thought, as ask God where He would have you to serve.

Our churches have deteriorated so much as far as standards go, one wonders how anyone could possibly be disfellowshipped for blatant sin. One of the worst standards is the local church roll itself. When 65% (and I am being generous) of the members have not darkened the doors in decades, and still members, what sin is worse than no signs of regeneration?

There is no doubt that there is a local church around you that preaches the Truth, and will be grateful for your time, money, and fellowship. May God bless you in this quest.

 

I think so, but better check with the administrators.

By the way, that church is not the same Fairview church where Eddie Mesa used to go, is it ?

Nahh.

I don't think so.

The church Eddie used to go to was a Calvinistic one.

Do you live in the Lagro-Fairview area ?

 

Sorta lika a boss I had once; due to his character, I considered it a compliment that he didn't particularly like me!

I, as you, wore this rejection as a "badge oh honor"!

 

This will be a load off your shoulders! :godisgood:

 

There is a lesson here for all of us. It is, that our churches must carefully guard their doors. There is a sentiment that all that is necessary for us to be unified is our common belief in Jesus Christ, and everything else is secondary. Sad to say, that is a naive fantasy, if it were ever true.

With few exceptions, Baptist and Pentecostals cannot co-exist within a congregation. It is divisive from the get-go. Chuirches which think they're the exceptions are naive at best and spiritually illiterate at worst.

 

Despite your levity, I suspect this whole event has been stressful for you and your family. I hope you all have been drawn closer to our Savior.

On the other hand, the good news is that a solid, reformed, calvinistic church is only 200 meters away.:smilewinkgrin:

peace to youraying:

 

That lesson may be true, but it is not enough. About 15 years ago my in-laws were among seven tithers that were kicked out of their SBC church for "non-support of the pastor". This did not mean financial support. It meant going against the pastor's program and ideas for the church. These seven people had left the mother church to help start this mission church that eventually disfellowshipped them. Some of them (including my in-laws) had moved to the mother church when it was a mission of another church. (The mother church was where my wife and I were married.) So this was their second church start. It was pretty traumatic for my mother-in-law when she got up the next Sunday morning and had no place to send her offering.

Eventually they found another church. And, later, the new pastor of the church that kicked them out sent them a letter of apology. They didn't go back, but they appreciated the letter very much.

Finally, the first sermon I heard the non-supported pastor preach was titled "The Duties and Responsibilities of a Good Church Member". I summarized it as saying that good church members keep their mouths shut and do what the preacher says. He eventually threatened to resign one too many times, and the deacons called his bluff.

Churches need to teach their members and their children what it means to be a Baptist and how Baptist churches conduct their business. We're not doing enough of this today. This is true of other denominations as well. That is why we are susceptible to this kind of gradual takeover.

Tim Reynolds

 

Excellent point. Guarding the doors won't solve anything if those already there have no clue about Baptist polity.

BTW Tim, I notice that some churches are now requiring new members to sign a covenant, basically agreeing to support the pastor and leadership. It's a document that could define you right out of the church for non-support if the powers that be want you out. Does it bother you that the congregations are ceding power and authority to a small group of people? Not just delegating, but giving it up.

 

I want to make it clear that I am one who generally gives strong support to my pastor. I believe that he should get the benefit of the doubt on most issues. But that's not the same thing as the congregation ceding authority to him.

 

standing for the truth is always costly. believe me, i've paid for it myself.

 

Not that I can think of.
Years and years ago, where I grew up at a Church of Christ, they asked one of the young men to leave since he was a gossip and was causing a lot of misery.

And a few years before THAT happened they told some lady to leave for the same reason.

Think what you want about CoC, I think they did the right thing---you CAN NOT have gossiping people in the church.

 

I think they will. I knew the pastor there, not personally, but by reputation. I understood he had the respect of even non Calvinist pastors.

However, the question is will you thrive in a Calvinist church, having been exposed for years to the non-Calvinist foundations ?