{"id":15712,"date":"2008-07-10T21:49:00","date_gmt":"2008-07-11T02:49:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/?p=15712"},"modified":"2019-11-17T21:52:46","modified_gmt":"2019-11-18T03:52:46","slug":"is-withdrawing-removing-someone-from-a-churchs-membership-role","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/is-withdrawing-removing-someone-from-a-churchs-membership-role\/","title":{"rendered":"Is withdrawing removing someone from a church’s membership role?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n\t

Question:<\/h2>\n

I read your\u00a0previous\u00a0answer<\/a> on a divorce and remarriage in a congregation involving an elder’s son. I have read through I Corinthians 5.\u00a0 I have never been in a situation where a particular member was withdrawn from. Whenever you withdraw from someone in a congregation, does that mean that you dismiss them from the membership of the congregation?<\/p>\n\t

Answer:<\/h2>\n

I would hope that the reason you haven’t seen someone being withdrawn from is that you just happen to worship with a group of really fine Christians. Sadly, such is not generally the case. More often you will find that congregations don’t withdraw from unrepentant sinners because they are afraid of making waves and losing membership.<\/p>\n

Removing a person from the membership of the congregation is only a part of withdrawing. The concept is to remove all social ties so that the person is no more than a worldly person living down the street. “But now I have written to you not to keep company with anyone named a brother, who is sexually immoral, or covetous, or an idolater, or a reviler, or a drunkard, or an extortioner–not even to eat with such a person<\/em>” (I Corinthians 5:11). I don’t go to dinner parties held by worldly people because the drinking and swearing make me uncomfortable. Their ideas of “fun” are definitely not my own. When a Christian refuses to leave his sin, it becomes the same issue. We no longer have a common bond. His ideas no longer match my own. So, I no longer have a social relationship with him.<\/p>\n

However, it doesn’t mean that I don’t continue to try to persuade him out of his sin. A while back I did a class on withdrawing in which I went through all the verses where words related to withdrawing are used. When seen in combination it gives you a good idea of what this is about. Take a look at\u00a0Withdraw Yourselves<\/a>\u00a0for more details.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Question: I read your\u00a0previous\u00a0answer on a divorce and remarriage in a congregation involving an elder’s son. I have read through I Corinthians 5.\u00a0 I have never been in a situation where a particular member was withdrawn from. Whenever you withdraw from someone in a congregation, does that mean that you dismiss them from the membership…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"advanced_seo_description":"","jetpack_seo_html_title":"","jetpack_seo_noindex":false,"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[20],"tags":[254],"class_list":["post-15712","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-answer","tag-withdrawal"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":26819,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/can-a-congregation-restore-a-person-who-was-disfellowshipped-by-another-congregation\/","url_meta":{"origin":15712,"position":0},"title":"Can a congregation restore a person who was disfellowshipped by another congregation?","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"November 5, 2020","format":false,"excerpt":"Question: Can a congregation restore a person who was disfellowshipped by another congregation? Answer: Members of a congregation withdraw their fellowship of someone in their midst who is living a sinful life. See\u00a0Withdraw Yourselves for details. Membership in a congregation and the fellowship that ensues is done on a local\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Answer"","block_context":{"text":"Answer","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/answer\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":53899,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/if-someone-attends-but-hasnt-become-a-member-and-then-stops-coming-should-you-withdraw-from-him\/","url_meta":{"origin":15712,"position":1},"title":"If someone attends, but hasn’t become a member, and then stops coming, should you withdraw from him?","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"August 14, 2018","format":false,"excerpt":"Question: Someone begins attending a congregation but does not ask to be a member there. He starts forsaking the assembly. Can you withdraw from him? He was baptized. Answer: Before I answer the question, I want to note that some congregations add people to their membership simply because they keep\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Answer"","block_context":{"text":"Answer","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/answer\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":66823,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/what-if-a-withdrawn-from-brother-continues-to-attend-services\/","url_meta":{"origin":15712,"position":2},"title":"What if a withdrawn from brother continues to attend services?","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"February 29, 2024","format":false,"excerpt":"Question: Greetings Brother Hamilton, I am concerned about the withdrawal of membership from a brother in sin. I read through your notes on fellowship and understood them, but I want to be precise. When a brother is withdrawn from fellowship with other Christians, can he still come to worship but\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Answer"","block_context":{"text":"Answer","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/answer\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":42384,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/do-we-withdraw-from-members-who-are-attending-another-congregation-for-months\/","url_meta":{"origin":15712,"position":3},"title":"Do we withdraw from members who are attending another congregation for months?","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"March 30, 2014","format":false,"excerpt":"Question: I read brother Hamilton's article on\u00a0Cross Congregational Fellowship\u00a0with keen interest and have this question: Can fellowship be withdrawn from members who have absented themselves from their local congregation for months, but who have gone to another congregation to worship without first advising their local congregation that they will be\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Answer"","block_context":{"text":"Answer","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/answer\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":66857,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/can-one-congregation-withdraw-from-another-congregation\/","url_meta":{"origin":15712,"position":4},"title":"Can one congregation withdraw from another congregation?","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"March 2, 2024","format":false,"excerpt":"Question: Can a church withdraw from Christians who are not members of the local congregation? 1.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0Mark those who cause division and hindrances -\u00a0Romans 16:17 2.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0Philippians 3:17\u00a0- Mark those who are good examples 3.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0Galatians 5:15\u00a0- Don't bite and devour each other. C.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0Can a church withdraw from another church? Hey Brother Hamilton!\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Answer"","block_context":{"text":"Answer","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/answer\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":25239,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/must-a-person-formally-place-membership-with-a-local-church-before-they-participate-in-the-work\/","url_meta":{"origin":15712,"position":5},"title":"Must a person formally place membership with a local church before they participate in the work?","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"December 11, 2010","format":false,"excerpt":"Question: What are your thoughts regarding \"placing membership\" with a local congregation?\u00a0 I understand the biblical authority for someone working under the oversight of the elders of a congregation.\u00a0 If someone has been attending a congregation regularly for a period of time, can it be assumed they wish to work\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Answer"","block_context":{"text":"Answer","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/answer\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15712","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=15712"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15712\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=15712"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=15712"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=15712"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}