Who gives man the right to disfellowship another man?

Question

Who gives him the right? What if this person still wants to go to church?

This question applys to JW's, LDS's, and UPC's.
(Jehovah's Witnesses, Latter Day Saints, and United Pentecostal Churches).

You mean to "ex-communicate" him? Or to kick him out of the church?

YES!

Answer 1

As far as LDS goes...
First, you need to know a man called as a Bishop in our church is given the right and authority to be a "judge" sort of for the members in his ward. That is why we have bishop interviews and things like that.

Disfellowship: Is when a member (usually) has been to the temple and has broken the covenants made there - which are only known if the person comes to the bishop and tells him that. It is not made "public" to the other members of that ward or stake, unless that member tells anyone. Also, that member is restricted to not holding any callings or praying in public (at church meetings). I have a friend who was disfellowshipped because of what I mentioned earlier - the covenants. He had to speak with the bishop on a few occasions and go before a "board" or a panel of bishopric members and i think stake presidency members. I think usually the person has to make some sort of effort to reactivate and repent or they probably would get excommunicated.
Excommunication- most of the time, the member is the one wanting to be "out" of the church and not a member anymore. A bishop cannot just come up to a member and say "you're out." There is also a panel or whatever a person must be involved in to be excommunicated. I know that every effort is made to NOT excommunicate a person, but if the member is not willing to live the gospel and simply does not want to be a member, that is the most common circumstance. And as far as I have ever known or heard, an ex is very uncommon.

The person can still attend the church if they have been excommunicated, I am sure every effort is made to have them attend regularly. And of course, because of the atonement and repentance, a person CAN become a member again.

Answer 2

The Bible instructs to keep the congregation clean and above reproach, but no one has ever been kicked out of the Kingdom Hall. It is open for all to come and attend meetings, disfellowshipped or not, as I am, from the Corning, CA Congregation. But, I attended the Memorial last night. Even took my friend along, though I didn't tell him what for.

A disfellowshipped person is never kicked out of the Kingdom Hall, they merely are not associated with, and though many did ask how I was doing, none broached anything related to the Bible with me. I imagine the elders might have but being that it was the observance of the Last Supper, they were busy.

As for who gives them the right to disfellowship? It is not a right, it is a commanded responsibility, but one far too many churches ignore in this day and age of political correctness. In far too many churches, they are not to point out those who are committing significant wrongs before God and Christ. Look at Jesse Jackson, who not only committed adultery, but bore a child from it, yet he is still at the top of his game, reaping all the financial benefits of being called a Reverend.

Answer 3

Is the inverse true? Do I have a right to maintain a relationship with another person against their will? I am not JW, LDS or UPC, but I certainly respect their right to choose who they allow into their own community. A man who has been disfellowshipped is still free to worship God, attend other religious communities, and form new fellowships with like-minded individuals.

Answer 4

As has been pointed out here by a few posters, those men who take the lead in the Christian congregation are required – commanded - to keep the congregation clean. People are disfellowshipped because they are practicing sin and they refuse to stop. This is the key: they refuse to stop and repent. The congregation must be kept clean. This is not done lightly and it is not a usurpation of God.

In 1 Corinthians Chapter 5 we find a crystal clear example of a Christian in the Corinthian congregation who was practicing fornication – with impunity! Paul took the congregation to task for allowing it and he did not mince words. Notice verse 5 which commands: "hand such a man over to Satan" (in other words, put him out of the congregation into the world which is governed by Satan). Look at verse 13: "remove the wicked man from among yourselves." Verse 12: "do you not judge those inside?" Yes! According to God's requirements.

It is interesting that so few people are familiar with God's righteous requirements for his worshipers. And fewer still try to meet them. Removing unrepentant sinners from the Christian congregation is a protection for the other sheep who are remaining clean, an act of loyalty to Jesus who is the head of the congregation and to the Most High God.

Disfellowshipped ones - indeed all people – are welcome at the Christian meetings. And the disfellowshipped are helped by the older men in the congregation to repent (if they wish) so that they may once again be reinstated and worship with their brothers and sisters.

Hannah J Paul

Answer 5

You mean to "ex-communicate" him? Or to kick him out of the church?

The Bible gives the elders of the church the right to do this, in EXTREME cases. Other than that, no-one has that right.

If the person still wants to go to church, then they should find a new church (why would you want to go to that church?).

Answer 6

First, to be excommunicated or disfellowshipped does NOT MEAN we do not want them to come to church, unless their being at church would be a major disruption to worship.

That said, we only will disfellowship or ex because that member seriously broke one or more of the sacred covenants they made at baptism, and/or in the temple. For instance, "breaking" the Law of Chastity. If a member has sexual relations with another who is not their legal spouse (of the opposite sex), then they have seriously broken thei cvenants and need to be separated frm those covenants in order to make it easier for the person to make a full repentance. Many times, I have worshipped side by side with members only to find they weren't, because they'd been ex'd.

And only in extremely rare instances will the church tell anyone that a person was ex'd.

Answer 7

Add Church of Christ to your list. The short answer to your question is The Bible gives the local church not only the authority but also the responsibility to maintain the integrity of the church by removing persons who are devisive.

Answer 8

not sure about JW and LDS, I believe that most people consider them to be a type of a cult, but as far as UPC they may sight the principle found in Matthew 18

Answer 9

I do not know about the one's you mentioned but in the bible it states in mathew 18 it goes like this If your brother sins against you,[b] go and show him his fault, just between the two of you. If he listens to you, you have won your brother over. 16But if he will not listen, take one or two others along, so that 'every matter may be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses.'[c] 17If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church; and if he refuses to listen even to the church, treat him as you would a pagan or a tax collector basically if some one will not denounce their sin and a church ignors it then they are condoning it. he is to be set out of the church until he repents and changes. then he is to be accepted back into the fold.

Answer 10

The Bible. In the Bible we are told to keep the congregation clean. The Bible's principles set the standards for which those wishing to be known as Christian are to follow.

It is funny to me that I see this type of Q about as much as the ones asking why some former member of a religion was allowed to do something bad.

It seems that as many people are mad that we follow the Bible's counsel to maintain cleanliness, as are, the ones that are mad because they feel that we don't do it enough