Church Discipline - Does your church practice this?

[Signs & Wonders]

I have been saved since I was 21 and have been attending church since 1987 and until recently I have never seen church discipline. I always thought that church discipline was between an individual (not wanting to repent from sin) and the church (elders or pastor).

Two weeks ago our head pastor mentioned an individual's name during the end of the church service. He read a letter that the elders had written to him that to put it bluntly... kicked him out of church. The pastor was greived during his announcement. After he read the letter he was very firm with the church not to gossip about the sitution and then asked the entire church to break up into groups to pray for the man and the church.

It was very humbling. I felt so bad for the man they disciplined (and his family). How incredibly sad that his sin meant more to him than anything. :(:

I've never seen this done in front of the church. However, from what I read in scripture this is biblical.

Anyone else experience this or is this rare for a church to do this?

[Rachael1448]

We gave up on church years ago. All the Trust is gone in our hearts in regard to churches sorry to say.

[soprano]

Yes, each church we've ever attended has done this.

deb

[Caleb]

The only case when there was public discipline involved was when a church elder confessed his sexual sin in front of the congregation, in a tone of repentance & publicly asked forgiveness from his wife & children & the church congregation. He was then removed from his post as elder. As our church is so large, our pastor doesn't & can't reasonably call publicly call someone out.

[Doxiemom]

I think it is evil to deny church to any human being, no matter what they have done. It is even more evil to humiliate a person and his family publicly.

The catholic church has a rule of ex-communication. And that is wrong. This is just as bad.

[Rachael1448]

What happened to Grace. I realize there must be a balance but today's set up for churches have lost that Balance that the original disciples of Christ set up. The Early churches were under a headship of a council...and had overseers to keep it right with the Word and God. Not so today.....and if there is not a good foundation for anything it will crumble. And great will be the fall of it.