tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-373425720288771023.post2379845922546734928..comments2023-10-12T05:32:43.976-05:00Comments on Church Discipline: How to leave a churchCD-Hosthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00304535091189153224noreply@blogger.comBlogger13125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-373425720288771023.post-66778651307970941682017-05-11T11:20:23.659-05:002017-05-11T11:20:23.659-05:00Many times, sadly, when a member attempts to leave...Many times, sadly, when a member attempts to leave, there are trumped up charges initiated, i.e. membership vows, etc. If the letter of resignation is received prior to any charges levied, the member is free to resign in a clear conscience. I would agree that if there was already disciplinarian processes started, this will be problematic.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11106275344206643390noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-373425720288771023.post-16588867736800807392017-05-05T14:59:38.402-05:002017-05-05T14:59:38.402-05:00@annette
It is a "teaching of man". I...@annette <br /><br />It is a "teaching of man". It is a cultural tradition. Particularly important for discipling churches and churches with an agreement not to engage in "sheep stealing". If you current and future church both don't follow it, then likely it won't matter for you. CD-Hosthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00304535091189153224noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-373425720288771023.post-38480160392028938952017-05-05T14:31:50.280-05:002017-05-05T14:31:50.280-05:00Where in the scriptures Old Testament or New Testa...Where in the scriptures Old Testament or New Testament does it say you are to request a letter and blessings from you current church to leave? I have been searching and have not found any place to concur with this protocol. This appears to be a teaching of and by man, not anything that God himself instructed. It does say fail not the assembling of yourselves together...and it says to be with those if like faith, however if I get a job transfer from my "mega church" the pastor dies not even possible personally know me what scriptural bases requires one to do do? Lonewolfhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04488992443603210403noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-373425720288771023.post-35077372181620188752013-12-23T17:20:10.191-05:002013-12-23T17:20:10.191-05:00As I left a comment on another post about the way ...As I left a comment on another post about the way Catholics view the Church, it seems to me that the above requirements imply the Catholic Church considers this as leaving Christendom entirely. As a previous commenter noted, you can simply "suffer" excommunication by joining another Church and just never look back if you want.angelohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08252792515460833983noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-373425720288771023.post-17190936152017089302008-07-12T21:49:00.000-06:002008-07-12T21:49:00.000-06:00Anonymous -- They have a partnership class that i...Anonymous --<BR/><BR/><I> They have a partnership class that invites you to join a church family by clarifying the church's vision, mission and theology so that you know what you are connecting to. After that you just get connected and relationally function. </I><BR/><BR/>You aren't giveing me much to go on. But "getting connected" and "functioning relationally" sound like membership to me. Especially if they have a class. Ask if there is some sort of church covenant, or other agreement as part of your "relationship". Basically I'd always recommend a letter of transfer, standing or disassociation if the church disciplines.CD-Hosthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00304535091189153224noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-373425720288771023.post-41136580710858514282008-07-12T13:04:00.000-06:002008-07-12T13:04:00.000-06:00I attend a good church and don't want to leave it...I attend a good church and don't want to leave it or anything. But it has no official membership. They have a partnership class that invites you to join a church family by clarifying the church's vision, mission and theology so that you know what you are connecting to. After that you just get connected and relationally function.<BR/><BR/>My guess is that if you where to leave, you just leave and say goodbye. What would you do in those cases.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-373425720288771023.post-66849752733471955662007-12-21T21:29:00.000-05:002007-12-21T21:29:00.000-05:00Anonymous --I think you may be confusing a few dif...Anonymous --<BR/><BR/>I think you may be confusing a few different issues. Are you talking about a specific case? If you would like you can email me or post here regarding it.CD-Hosthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00304535091189153224noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-373425720288771023.post-58300472681917086052007-12-21T11:37:00.000-05:002007-12-21T11:37:00.000-05:00Wow so there is legal recourse for Jehovah's witne...Wow so there is legal recourse for Jehovah's witneses because individual members are not given an informed consent to sign outlineing what really happens if you question authority, study independently, if you are the victim of abuse of authority, no whistlblower protection. and on and on, they kinda make up the rules as they go along. And have defamed character, and sanctioned even excommunication for persuing one constitutional and human rights for justice outside of the org, "informed consent" who would have thought how did they miss this?? I fell a windfall coming one.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-373425720288771023.post-51016866935976791062007-09-28T10:37:00.000-06:002007-09-28T10:37:00.000-06:00"the RCs recognise the validity of the priesthood ...<B>"the RCs recognise the validity of the priesthood and the Sacraments of both the Anglican and Orthodox Churches, in most cases, because of the Apostolic Sucession."</B><BR/><BR/>Actually, just the Orthodox churches, but not the Anglican ones. Their Sacraments were declared null and void by Leo XIII.Dave Hodgeshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00959747225114241546noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-373425720288771023.post-49483150624775991082007-08-19T18:07:00.000-06:002007-08-19T18:07:00.000-06:00Perhaps. And the fact that when I finally joined a...Perhaps. And the fact that when I finally joined another church, I chose to become an Anglican (this was WAY before the whole gay-ordination fubar) may have had something to do with it -- the RCs recognise the validity of the priesthood and the Sacraments of both the Anglican and Orthodox Churches, in most cases, because of the Apostolic Sucession.CJhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07142238549004452002noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-373425720288771023.post-72891566990696839422007-08-18T07:33:00.000-06:002007-08-18T07:33:00.000-06:00CJ --I'm glad to hear that leaving was so painless...CJ --<BR/><BR/><BR/>I'm glad to hear that leaving was so painless for you! Excellent. <BR/><BR/>In terms of the part you were probably responding ti, if you just left you probably are technically still a Catholic in a state of scism. All you would need to do is repent and you could be readmitted to full communion. That contrasts with most protestants who would need to go through initiation.CD-Hosthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00304535091189153224noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-373425720288771023.post-23704453553655677792007-08-18T07:06:00.000-06:002007-08-18T07:06:00.000-06:00As a former Catholic, who left that denomination i...As a former Catholic, who left that denomination in 1981, I was never given any trouble by anyone other than a couple of my older relatives. I went to a Catholic college and several of my friends were and still are Benedictine priests and nuns. While they questioned my choice, all have remained my friends, and one Sister played the organ at my wedding in 1980, while another was my bridesmaid, which was celebrated in a Baptist church!CJhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07142238549004452002noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-373425720288771023.post-90481768863379910712007-08-18T03:53:00.000-06:002007-08-18T03:53:00.000-06:00This is an excellent review. Ten plus years ago w...This is an excellent review. Ten plus years ago when I left my cultic church, since they did not afford me informed consent about their abusive techiniques, I felt perfectly fine about leaving without "leadership consent." I would add to those exiting a church that if you have strong convictions and reasonable evidence that your group is cultic, just bolt and figure things out from a safe vantage point. With so many non-denominational churches and small/independent denominations about, these are probably more suspect than a larger and "more formal" denomination.<BR/><BR/>I appreciate the message that (a person is/you are) not bound to a group if they choose not to be bound. You have the right to remove or distance yourself from intimidation. Often this is a huge stressor when deciding whether to remain or <A HREF="http://www.macgregorministries.org/jehovahs_witnesses/theytoldme.html" REL="nofollow">leave an abusive group.</A> I believe that God will bless you and your decision of faith to keep your heart pure by getting out of a bad situation (provided that you are not just avoiding deserved discipline). You may risk losing record or validation of your time spent in a group (and time recovering perhaps), but the benefit that you reap from leaving an abusive or manipulative group far outweighs the "equity" you lose when you leave.Cynthia Kunsmanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08060294887790881860noreply@blogger.com