Disfellowshipping. What does it accomplish??

[William Thornton]

[Mark]

Just one point of clarification: Being disfellowshipped from an "association" isn't necessarily synonymous with being disfellowshipped from a "denomination." The latter may also occur, but not always. Perhaps not even in the majority of cases.

I realize that in some places, the term "association" refers to a larger group of Baptists, such as a state convention, a region, or perhaps even a "denomination." But not usually. (I think.)

[Howard V]

Disfellowshipping, what ever that is, probably does very little. To make it personal, if FBC Huntsville is "disfellowshipped" it will affect us not very much.

Probably all 3 categories you listed,Tim, are involved to some degree. One needs to remember that the 2000 BF&M is a document for doctrinal accountability - even if the association has NOT adopted it.

We [FBC Huntsville] do missions in a multitude of ways so being "out" of the association would not really cramp those outreaches.

Before you listed the possible "reasons" I thought to myself, control and power, and doctrine uniformity [some people just can't stand for anyone to be different from them].

In a year and a half from now I may have different opinions but for now this is what I think.

Howard

[KeithE]

Well I told our mssions coordinator about this possibility tonight and he said "Great" we can use those $$ in better ways anyway.

[Stephen Fox]

had an oped on related topic last week.
Maybe Jonathan can pm his contacts and pursue this matter with anecdotal testimonies.

[Mrs Haruo]

I think the main thing Disfellowshipping accomplishes is make Christians (and Baptist churches in particular) look incredibly foolish to the outside world. What a bunch of idiots, constantly quarreling over minor differences in theology when there are people who are hungry, hurting, poorly clothed, lonely, and looking for answers to life's questions. I wasn't brought up in ANY church, and my extended family included free-thinkers, Unitarians, "non-itarians" , daughters of a Methodist minister, --- the main spiritual training I got was in Girl Scouts, where I promised to "Do my duty to God and my Country---- that meant being sincere in my own faith, and respectful to others in thiers-- which meant to me to find out enough about other's beliefs to be able to respect thier customs. I grew up surrounded by people of many races, origins and religious belief (or lack thereof) because my parents, grandparents, and aunts and uncles believed that the more variety you have in your life, the richer it is. If I go into a church and everybody looks the same, thinks the same, I don't last long there. I grew up with four legged sheep out in the pasture. They have warm wooly coats, but not much in the way of brains. I don't have time to waste with two legged sheep. I don't do boring very well. Too much beauty in the world God created to waste time shut up in a stuffy room sleeping thru a sermon, unless its someone with something interesting to say that reaches my heart-- like our pastor who just happens to be theologically well grounded, a fascinating speaker, a heart for service, and a has a gift for getting to the point without beating around the bush. She is a treasure. And those who don't care to listen to her teaching merely because she is a woman are really missing out. Their loss.

[daronlwells]

I read this with interest. The most impressive thing to me is that it is a topic that should be more typical of posts on the BF&PF rather than vitriolic political mockery and insults. My compliments and appreciation to all of you.

[William Thornton]

[Jonathan]

[Jerry_B]

To disfellowship a church from an association is simply a move to exalt the bias of humanity. It accomplishes nothing, especially with a church as old as Huntsville. It does point to the larger issue of the relevancy of associations. Ours had been struggling, but is making a bit of headway once again because we have chosen to emphasize missions instead of doctrinal correctness to a human document.

[Dave Roberts]

A real question in Baptist life is about the future of Baptist Associations. In a time of electronic instant communications, it's no longer necessary for the association to resource the churches. In the day of multiple curricular options, the association has lost its role as the promoter of LifeWay materials as the only option they can bless. Unless local associations find a meaning in doing missions, their purposes for being may largely erode. We have put a lot of time and money into our local association. The current DOM is trying to redefine its purposes and methods. His predecessor seemed to operate on the assumption that the purpose of the body was to have a DOM.

[William Thornton]