Co-Operative Discipline

We all know about Church discipline. And then there is what I shall call co-operative discipline, or inter-Church discipline. Members who change their Church membership over an issue of Church discipline may live happily ever after. However, there are at least two things that may happen besides.

• They may be asked to resolve outstanding issues with their old Church first. Some Churches place a premium on this. As an example, a past member of my Church told me of her membership interview with a new Church. They asked her: "Your name? Your date of birth? Are you under discipline in any other Church?"

• Churches may co-operate in bringing a matter to a satisfactory conclusion. As an example, our Church diaconate once summoned a woman on an issue of Church discipline. She refused, and changed her membership. Together with her new Church, we brought it to a satisfactory conclusion, even though it was another denomination.