{"id":66857,"date":"2024-03-02T18:53:25","date_gmt":"2024-03-03T00:53:25","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/?p=66857"},"modified":"2024-03-02T18:53:25","modified_gmt":"2024-03-03T00:53:25","slug":"can-one-congregation-withdraw-from-another-congregation","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/can-one-congregation-withdraw-from-another-congregation\/","title":{"rendered":"Can one congregation withdraw from another congregation?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n\n\t

Question:<\/h2>\n

Can a church withdraw from Christians who are not members of the local congregation?<\/p>\n

1.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0Mark those who cause division and hindrances –\u00a0Romans 16:17<\/p>\n

2.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0Philippians 3:17\u00a0– Mark those who are good examples<\/p>\n

3.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0Galatians 5:15\u00a0– Don’t bite and devour each other.<\/p>\n

C.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0Can a church withdraw from another church?<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Hey Brother Hamilton!<\/p>\n

God bless. I’ve read almost all articles pertaining to church discipline and withdrawing fellowship. Here locally, we are going through it for the first time. Above is part of your article and would like to get a deeper response on these questions especially the last question: “Can a church withdraw from another church?” Also adding in there, if another congregation knows that a brother has been withdrawn from but they choose to continue fellowship, do we as a congregation cut ties with them as well?<\/p>\n

Thanks. I can’t wait for your response.<\/p>\n\t

Answer:<\/h2>\n

As pointed out in “Withdraw Yourselves<\/a>,” a congregation uses the withdrawal of fellowship to discipline wayward members of the congregation. If a Christian is not a member of the congregation (not a part of the fellowship), and it is found that the person is wayward, the congregation may choose not to offer fellowship. For example, Jerusalem feared that Saul was still persecuting Christians. “When he came to Jerusalem, he was trying to associate with the disciples; but they were all afraid of him, not believing that he was a disciple<\/em>” (Acts 9:26). They didn’t withdraw fellowship. They refused to offer fellowship. Technically, you can’t withdraw what was never given. However, you can note who is causing problems in other places and decide not to associate with them.<\/p>\n

About the only way one congregation has fellowship with another is to send aid to a congregation during a disaster. Congregations are autonomous. While members might visit other congregations, which congregations they choose to visit is theirs to make. A congregation may support a preacher who works at another congregation, but the fellowship is between the supporting congregation and the preacher. Thus, if one congregation thinks another congregation is no longer faithful, they may choose not to send aid. They might decide not to announce meetings or singing that are taking place at an unfaithful congregation. However, these things are not one congregation disciplining another. It is an attempt to keep false beliefs out of a local congregation.<\/p>\n

For more about the fellowship of members between congregations, see “Cross Congregational Fellowship<\/a>.”<\/p>\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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! God bless. I’ve read almost…<\/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,"footnotes":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[20],"tags":[254],"class_list":["post-66857","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":66857,"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":42384,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/do-we-withdraw-from-members-who-are-attending-another-congregation-for-months\/","url_meta":{"origin":66857,"position":1},"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":94937,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/do-we-withdraw-from-those-who-have-admitted-their-sin\/","url_meta":{"origin":66857,"position":2},"title":"Do we withdraw from those who have admitted their sin?","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"April 4, 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"Question: Good day Jeffery, A few months ago, in my old congregation, the preacher, a married man, was having affairs with some sisters. One became jealous and reported to the father of another sister that she was having an affair. This other sister's father was a preacher in another congregation.\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Article"","block_context":{"text":"Article","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/article\/"},"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":66857,"position":3},"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":39947,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/was-the-church-right-to-withdraw-from-a-couple-who-lived-together-without-being-married\/","url_meta":{"origin":66857,"position":4},"title":"Was the church right to withdraw from a couple who lived together without being married?","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"August 19, 2013","format":false,"excerpt":"Question: My husband and I are faithful members of the Lord's church. We are active in a congregation in which a situation has occurred which has caused division in the congregation. The situation is this: a man and a woman who have been baptized and are members of the Lord's\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":5767,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/can-a-preacher-kick-members-out-of-a-church\/","url_meta":{"origin":66857,"position":5},"title":"Can a preacher kick members out of a church?","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"June 3, 2006","format":false,"excerpt":"Question: Can a preacher kick members out of the church? Answer: The primary job of a preacher, as described in the Bible, is to be a herald of God's good news. He teaches those outside the church how to become a part of the church. 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