The Book of Discipline

Discipline is a vital element in discipleship, and discipleship, in turn, is based upon a call by Jesus involving a personal allegiance to Him in love and obedience. Those who became the original disciples were first taught by Jesus, and only after that were they sent out as His representatives (Mark 3:14-15). In our own day we also have the witness of the Word, the fullness of the Holy Spirit, and sound preaching to draw us to faith in Jesus. Then to bind us together we have the fellowship of His Church as the Bride of Christ and the oversight of the elders into whose hands the leadership of the Church is placed.

The purpose of Christian discipline is to bring about a redemptive change, and a continuing growth toward holiness in the life of a Christian. Although we all fall into sin, as Christians we must still become involved in every process which produces righteousness and leads an individual toward growth in grace. Thus, Christians must set a good example of encouraging each other in love and in good deeds (Heb. 10:24).

Discipline is both positive and negative. Since it is a continuing process in our growth in grace, it becomes the responsibility of every member of the congregation. We must show a concern for every offender and at the same time a love that brings about repentance.

The elders must also exercise leadership by appropriately responding to weaknesses and sin among the members of their congregation. Of course they cannot reach out to members if they do not know them well, pray for them constantly, and visit consistently. We call this preventive discipline, and it is the first step in maintaining strong spiritual health among all members of a congregation. Preventive discipline will certainly avoid some of the need for corrective discipline.

Both teaching and ruling elders must establish full biblical discipline for the sake of order and peace in the congregation. Since it is their duty to mold and perfect mental and moral character, the elders must begin by disciplining themselves. They then become a good influence upon every member of the congregation. Finally, they should apply discipline impartially upon the membership of the entire congregation. Such discipline should begin with sound preaching and the acceptance on the part of the session of a personal responsibility for the spiritual life of each member of the congregation.

Any book of church discipline must emphasize the more formal, corrective, and often negative aspects of discipline because our leaders must maintain the strong reprimands and judgments that Jesus instructs us to keep. A great problem is that the degeneration of our moral and spiritual world since the Fall leads us to recognize that families can be formed and children may grow up without the example of any Christian principles or teachings. We must pray for the presence of Christ in every thought, attitude, and deed so that we can build both personal and corporate lives that will glorify His name.

The appropriate church court should take notice of behavior that may lead to civil lawsuits. In particular, one member shall not go to law against another member until the case has been referred to the appropriate court (1 Cor. 6:1-8). The court may employ mediation, arbitration, or another alternate dispute resolution process.

This Book of Discipline is purposely in two sections. The first, section I, will be the normal procedure that courts will use. It is less formal, and is especially useful in those common situations when the church member who must undergo discipline has admitted his sin, and neither desires to contest any charges nor any censures. It is by no means a “prejudging the case,” for a member charged with sin may contest the very charge itself and demand a trial for it long before the court has determined any censure that affects his standing or eligibility for the sacraments. The second part is more formal and with more rigorous procedure. Any time a member desires to contest either a charge against him, or the severity of the censure, he may request formal trial done in accord with Section II. This request must be granted.