While most US Protestant churches have policies in place to address significant misbehaviour by members, formalised church discipline is rarely practiced, according to newly released data from Lifeway Research.
The Christian Post reports its survey of more than 1,000 Protestant pastors found that more than half (54%) of them reported that their churches have not formally disciplined a single member during their tenure, nor were they aware of any previous instances.
One in six pastors reported their church had disciplined a member in the past year.
22% reported that discipline occurred three or more years ago,
INFREQUENCY OF DISCIPLINE DOESN’T MEAN MEMBERS AREN’T SINNING
These results aligned closely with a similar Lifeway Research study in 2017.
“The infrequency of church discipline is not because church members aren’t sinning,” said Scott McConnell, executive director of Lifeway Research.
“Church discipline typically occurs when a member is not repentant for a sin or is no longer qualified for a role because of sin.”
DISCIPLINE LESS LIKELY IN MAINLINE CHURCHES
The survey found church discipline is notably less common in mainline denominations.
While 47% of Evangelical pastors said they were not aware if their church had disciplined anyone, 70% of mainline pastors reported the same.
Methodist pastors (82%) were the most likely to say discipline had never occurred.
Larger churches are more likely to engage in discipline, with only 35% of pastors at churches with 250 or more attendees saying no one had been disciplined.
Higher percentages were recorded in smaller congregations.
THE BIGGER THE CHURCH, THE GREATER NEED FOR DISCIPLINE
“The more people you have in your church, the more likely someone’s behaviour warrants discipline,” Mr. McConnell explained.
“Teachings and traditions also play into a church’s willingness to discipline someone,” he added.
Despite rare enforcement, about 80% of churches have formal discipline policies.
Only 14% of pastors reported that no official policies exist.
WHO CARRIES OUT THE DISCIPLINE?
Responsibility for administering discipline varies:
14% said it falls to elders alone, 11% to the pastor alone, 10% to the entire congregation, and 35% indicated multiple groups must agree.
Many commentators believe the Biblical basis for church discipline stems from passages like Matthew 18:15-20, where Jesus outlines a process for addressing sin:
WHAT THE BIBLE SAYS ABOUT ADDRESSING SIN
“If your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault, between you and him alone.”
“If he listens to you, you have gained your brother.”
“But if he does not listen, take one or two others along with you.”
“If he refuses to listen even to the church, let him be to you as a Gentile and a tax collector.”
Similarly, in 1 Corinthians 5, Paul urges the Corinthian church to confront sin, warning that unaddressed sin spreads like “a little leaven leavens the whole lump.”
WHAT HAPPENS WHEN CHURCHES IGNORE DISCIPLINE?
Christian conservative activist and influencer Reagan Scott wrote an opinion piece along those lines for The Christian Post in 2022:
“For far too long, American churches have strayed away from practicing church discipline, and the product of that has been sexual assault allegations, greed, heresy from the pulpit, normalisation of divorce and premarital sex, cowardice when it comes to confronting sin in our culture, Biblical illiteracy, and more,” she wrote.
“Because a little leaven has been allowed within these churches, the whole lump has been leavened, and illegitimate children of God have maintained fellowship with true Christ followers, tainting the purity of the Church.”
THE PURPOSE OF DISCIPLINE
The purpose of discipline, according to the study, is repentance and restoration.
Around 83% of pastors said their churches aim to “lovingly and Biblically confront unconfessed sin,” with 51% of respondents strongly agreeing.
Evangelical pastors (89%) were more likely than mainline pastors (74%) to affirm this approach, with Restorationist Movement (94%) and Baptist (90%) pastors showing the strongest agreement.
“Confronting unconfessed sin is both for the benefit of the local church and the individual,” Mr. McConnell explained.
“Most churches look to follow Biblical guidelines in these cases.”
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