A Southeast Texas church is undergoing an extraordinary tussle. And church members are finding strife in the whole conversation that has arisen. A member of the church, with relatives in church leadership, has identified as being gay. It led church leadership to decide to collectively ask the member to either a) accept church discipline of some kind, or b) remove their membership from the church.
A meeting is called for Wednesday to discuss the issue. A source tells us the young man is not even active with the church right now, but his official membership is in question.
Information has been posted in the church bulletin and on Wednesday leaders will gather to determine if the young man has decided to terminate his membership in the church or accept discipline. If not, members say he will be removed by leadership.
It brings into sharp focus what would actually constitute cause for removal as a member. And in this particular congregations policies, it would entail the use of a passage from Matthew 18.
The passage reads, “If your brother or sister sins, go and point out their fault, just between the two of you. If they listen to you, you have won them over. But if they will not listen, take one or two others along, so that ‘every matter may be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses.’ If they still refuse to listen, tell it to the church; and if they refuse to listen even to the church, treat them as you would a pagan or a tax collector.”
Now, members are asking themselves what actions should be taken to properly discipline the young man. And whether that can help him.
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