The Church and excommunication

"Rev. Turner is greatly concerned about the Emergent Church heresy as being promoted in our Nazarene Theological Seminary; our universities and 'Barefoot Ministries' for the youth. Because of her concern and love for her denomination to whom she is indebted, she has been compelled to join me in informing fellow Nazarenes of the heresy and apostacy that has taken place. She believes, 'Nazarene's must act together somehow/someway to clean house of the subverters (wolves in sheep's clothing) that have infiltrated Nazarene universities, seminaries and the Publishing House. The souls of young people are at stake. The church that was called out to preach salvation and holiness is in grave danger of extinction if this heresy is permitted to continue.'"

From: Concerned Nazarenes

What does it mean to clean house? How does one clean house inside the church? How does one define or decide if another person is "wolves in sheep's clothing?

What I would like to do in this first response is define a few of the parameters around which I will be working and establish the tone of this blog. First, the name "unconcernednazares" might have several meanings. It could obviously indicate a lack of concern for the denomination. That is not the way it is being used here. I care deeply about the church and have strong ties to the church that has cared for me since birth.

Let me be specific about what I do mean. Much of what takes place on the site "Concerned Nazarenes" is fear mongering, accusation and is not constructive. My purpose in this blog will the opposite of those things. In that way, this site is the "un" version of the Concerned Nazarenes site. I hope there is dialogue; I hope that there room for us to recognize that what unites us is greater than what divides us.


Let me return to the questions I posed above. What does it mean to clean house? Does it mean that any who disagree with the opinions expressed on the "Concerned Nazarenes" site should be excommunicated and removed from the denomination? Let's look at how and why we get rid of people:

1. They leave: People can leave in any of the following three ways. First, if a minister or layperson joins another church, then they are no longer considered a member. Second, If a layperson hasn't attended services in over two years, they may be considered inactive and removed. Third, they can asked to be removed from church membership at any time. (The Manual, Church of the Nazarene, Paragraphs 112, 112.1, 112.2, 112.3)


2. They violate the code of Covenant of Christian Character or the Covenant of Christian Conduct: If they violate these covenants, laypersons may be removed from membership by a local board of discipline. (The Manual, Church of the Nazarene, Paragraph 504.2) If a minister violates these covenants, they may be removed from membership and the ministry if by a local board of discipline (The Manual, Church of the Nazarene, Paragraph 505.5)

Finally, the stated objective of "cleaning house" is outside of the goals of the judicial practice of the church. The stated goal is:

"The objectives of church discipline are to sustain the integrity of the church, to protect the innocent from harm, to protect the effectiveness of the witness of the church, to warn and correct the careless, to bring the guilty to salvation, to rehabilitate the guilty, to restore to effective service those who are rehabilitated, and to protect the reputation and resources of the church. Members of the church who do violence to the Covenant of Christian Character or the Covenant of Christian Conduct, or who willfully and continuously violate their membership vows, should be dealt with kindly yet faithfully, according to the grievousness of their offenses. Holiness of heart and life being the New Testament standard, the Church of the Nazarene insists upon a clean ministry and requires that those who bear its credentials as clergy be orthodox in doctrine and holy in life. Thus the purpose of the discipline is not punitive or retributive but is to accomplish these objectives. Determination of standing and continued relationship to the church is also a function of the disciplinary process."
(The Manual, Church of the Nazarene, Paragraph 500)

We will visit the question of orthodoxy later. Let me conclude. While my purpose is not to defend the Manual, if we are Nazarenes, we submit to this document as the way we relate to each other.

If that is the case, any disagreements between those who submit to the authority of the church should follow the manual. The stated goal of "cleaning house" as stated by the Concerned Nazarenes is outside of the scope of the goal of the judicial practice of the Church. "Cleaning house" is "punitive or retributive" and as such is out of line with denomination. I should acknowledge that the quote in question is not from the author of the Concerned Nazarenes website. At the same time, it is quoted approvingly in a way to indicate that the author of that site shares the opinion expressed therein.

Prayer:
"Father of all light, who did send his Son that we might have peace with you and with one another. Grant that we who are members of your own flock may, through the power of your Holy Spirit find unity with you and with one another. Where there is discord, let us find in you the resources to love each other. As you have promised, guide us into all Truth, for you are Truth. Amen."