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Elder Led: a strong emphasis on the responsibilities and duties of the congregation is maintained. While the team of elders has its specific responsibilities, the members of the church have their specific responsibilities as well, and these are fairly substantial; indeed, all major decisions (e.g., electing church officers, hiring pastoral staff, budget, property purchases and sales, church disciplinary matters) are brought by the elders to the members of the church for approval, modification, or dissaproval. The leadership of the elders in their sphere of authority interfaces with congregational responsibilities; accordingly, this model could best be termed 'elder-led congregationalism.'Sojourners and Strangers, 294
the decline of church discipline is perhaps the most visible failure of the contemporary church. No longer concerned with maintaining purity of confession or lifestyle, the contemporary church sees itself as a voluntary association of autonomous members, with minimal moral accountability to God, much less to each other.
teaching, leading, praying, and shepherding are the responsibilities of the elders of the Church.Sojourners and Strangers, 243
when the overall spiritual tenor of the church is increased, more men will be raised up to be above reproach and, as they express the desire, will be qualified for the office of elder. Perfection in each of these areas is not possible, but men who exhibit these characteristics in high and increasing measure should be the leaders who fill the office of elder.Sojourners and Strangers, 218
the following are specific areas addressed in Scripture that require Church discipline: personal sin committed by one member against another member of the church; egregious/public moral failure; heretical teaching; divisiveness; idleness; confirmed sin among the church's leaders.Sojourners and Strangers, 199
It has been remarked, that when discipline leaves a church, Christ goes with itA Treatise on Church Order
I think it is my duty to choose rather to join with those who refuse to admit into the Communion with them such as are openly vicious and profane than with those who, being under an unhappy obligation to administer the Lord's Supper to all in office and to transfer the trial of all suspensions to the bishop's court, cannot possibly use so strict a discipline. Not that I think I am ever the worse for bad people's joining with me in the Lord's Supper, but perhaps they are the worse for my joining with them; and I would not be accessory to the hardening of them in their impieties. I do not expect to meet with any society of Christians perfectly pure on this side heaven. There are spots, I know, in our feasts of charity; but I must prefer those who appear to me either to be more pure from the mixture of corrupt members, or at least more solicitous and desirous to be so and capable of being so by their own constitution.
Against all that I have said in behalf of discipline you will plead, "Our people are not ready for it; they will not yet bear it." But is not the meaning of this that you will not bear the trouble and hatred which it will occasion? I beseech you, in order that you may make a comfortable account to the Chief Shepherd and that you may not be found unfaithful in the house of God, that you do not shrink from duty because of the trouble that may attend it. Reformed Pastor
The neglect of discipline has a strong tendency to the deluding of souls by making men think that they are Christians when they are not because they are not separated from such as are, and by making scandalous sinners think their sin tolerable because it is so tolerated by the pastors of the church. We hereby corrupt Christianity itself in the eyes of the world and do our part to make them believe that to be a Christian is only to be of such or such an opinion, and that the Christian religion requires holiness no more than the false religions of the world. Reformed Pastor
The accusations of none, not even the best in the church, should be taken without proof. A minister should never make himself a party before he has sufficient evidence of the case. It is better to let many vicious persons go unpunished and without censure when we want full evidence against them than to censure one unjustly, which we may easily do if we go upon bold presumptions alone. And that will bring upon a pastor the scandal of partiality and unrighteous dealing, which will make all his reproofs and censures become contemptible.
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