An orthodox church should not have heretics in her communion (James MacGregor)

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Reformed Covenanter

Cancelled Commissioner
A church whose faith is Trinitarian cannot have an avowed Unitarian either in her communion or in her ministry. A church whose faith is Protestant-evangelical cannot have an avowed Pelagian Papist either in her communion or in her ministry. The thing would be monstrous, suicidal, a self-inflicted outrage on her convictions of truth, her conscience toward God, her sense of religion.

James MacGregor, ‘On Revision of the Westminster Confession’, British and Foreign Evangelical Review, 26, no. 102 (October 1877), p. 701.
 
Our church just affirmed this by excommunicating three members who decided, against all warning and exhortation, that they could no longer affirm the Divinity of the Holy Spirit. While it was healthy and necessary to do, it was also exceedingly painful.
 
Our church just affirmed this by excommunicating three members who decided, against all warning and exhortation, that they could no longer affirm the Divinity of the Holy Spirit. While it was healthy and necessary to do, it was also exceedingly painful.
Ben, where did they get these ideas? Whose teaching corrupted them?
 
Our church just affirmed this by excommunicating three members who decided, against all warning and exhortation, that they could no longer affirm the Divinity of the Holy Spirit. While it was healthy and necessary to do, it was also exceedingly painful.
I rarely hear of an excommunication. Do they want to stay, but are barred from coming to church?
 
Ben, where did they get these ideas? Whose teaching corrupted them?
They were formerly JWs, who made a very credible profession that endured for several years. It seems the sort of leader of the three began to study the heresies of other sects "in order to be able to refute them." My first thought was: "can a man take fire into his bosom and his clothes not be burned?"
 
I rarely hear of an excommunication. Do they want to stay, but are barred from coming to church?
By the time the excommunication occurred, they had essentially abandoned the assembly: the elders had met with them multiple times, had pleaded earnestly, had done all they could to persuade them of the truth. While they were suspended from any sort of teaching ministry the moment the heresy came to light, the elders took several weeks to meet with them and seek to bring them to reason before recommending excommunication. However, by the date of excommunication they had not been seen for several weeks.
 
By the time the excommunication occurred, they had essentially abandoned the assembly: the elders had met with them multiple times, had pleaded earnestly, had done all they could to persuade them of the truth. While they were suspended from any sort of teaching ministry the moment the heresy came to light, the elders took several weeks to meet with them and seek to bring them to reason before recommending excommunication. However, by the date of excommunication they had not been seen for several weeks.
I see. What is the excommunication, then? Were they informed by email/letter or was it announced to the church on Sunday?
 
I see. What is the excommunication, then? Were they informed by email/letter or was it announced to the church on Sunday?
As per our church constitution, a meeting was called and the members present took a vote--we are congregationalist Baptists, after all. Then an email was sent them. They could have been present; they should have been present, but they chose not to be.
 
Sadly from my experience not too many mainline churches practice excommunication any more. I used to attend the Non Denominational Church years ago on my journey toward more reformed creedal thinking. That Church didn't remove anyone from their fellowship. There were some members with some pretty far out there ideas about God in that denomination. My Husband and I ended up leaving. It took us a while but we finally settled on Conservative Baptist.

My present church has removed a missionary for heretical teaching and unbiblical lifestyle choices while acting as a missionary representative of the church.
 
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