(This question is a spinoff from here...

Is there ever a time that a non-professing child of a church member be placed under church discipline?

Let's say this child attends regularly, in their mid to late teens, maybe in college - but has not professed Christ.

What about if they are involved in open sin?

Thanks...

__________________
Trey Etheridge
Pastor
Grace Church
Searcy, AR

Trey,

The short answer to your question is, "no." Church discipline is for those that are members of the church.

Now, that doesn't mean that the church will not assist parents with their children. The love of Christ constrains us to love the professing parents and to help them where possible.

As far as adult children; the church should allow anyone who wishes to sit under the teaching of the Word. Perhaps God will grant them the repentance that leads to life through the preaching of the gospel. If their "open sin" is disruptive to the function of the church, it should be addressed by the elders and the appropriate action taken. A worse case scenario would be requesting that the individual not return to church until they cease being a disruptive force. Other than that I would not oppose their being under the teaching of the Word of God.

__________________
Bill Brown
Elder
Reformed Baptist
Maryland

Click to get: Board Rules -- Signature Requirements -- Suggestions?
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I would say this. If a child is effecting the church life something would need to be done about it.

Your hypothetical can be seen in this situation maybe. If a young man is pursuing the girls of the church with motives that are unbecoming in the ways of righteousness Matthew 18 would be in force. He should be confronted. First his parents should be informed and they should address the situation under the care of the Elders. If he hears them and submits to them they have gained some ground. He should be treated as any person who would present themselves at the door of the church. If he doesn't listen and forsakes the counsel he should be treated as pagan and the parents should be submissive to the Elders decision concerning the matter.

__________________

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R. Martin Snyder
1689er
http://www.puritanboard.com/blogs/puritancovenanter/

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Click to get:Board Rules -- Signature Requirements -- Suggestions?

Not forgetting that this section is for CREDO baptist answers, are we?

__________________
Jonathan Hunt

Elder holding forth the word of life at:
Cheltenham Evangelical Free Church (Confessionally Based)
Cheltenham, Gloucestershire, United Kingdom

Logic is a systematic method of coming to the wrong conclusion with confidence.
-- Thomas Elsworth

Thanks guys. This is very helpful and I hope others will post with their thoughts.

I had a follow-up to this in my mind last night, but seeing as how my child only slept about a total of 2 hours, I'm drawing a blank at the moment.