Word Count: 380 – Est Reading Time: <2 Minutes
What’s Up
Most churches don’t practice church discipline anymore … and it shows.
So What
According to LifeWay Research, 76% of churches haven’t disciplined a member in three years or longer. That might explain why unresolved conflict is killing those churches off.
The Point Is
Unresolved Conflict Is Fatal
Churches don’t die because the music is bad. They die because unresolved conflict chokes out mission and momentum.
Most Conflict Comes from Change
Want to grow? Something has to change. But change agitates the status quo, and some church folks will burn the place down before they let that happen.
Jesus Wasn’t Playing
Matthew 18 gives the process. Warn once, warn twice, then disfellowship. Reconciliation is the goal, but removal is the plan when reconciliation fails. When one member (or several, for that matter) get in the way of the Great Commission Mission, something has to change … or in this case, some ones have to go.
Three Strikes. You’re Out.
Paul wasn’t subtle in Titus 3:10. Church unity matters more than the feelings of the factional few. The mission is too important to let them run the show.
And … ?
Let’s call it like it is: churches that refuse to practice discipline are churches that have confused being “nice” with being “faithful.” And that confusion is gutting them from the inside out. The mission of the church isn’t to keep everyone comfortable, it’s to make disciples. That mission will always require change, and change will always bring resistance. When the same people keep causing conflict every time a growth move is proposed, that’s not discernment … that’s disobedience. And disobedience in the body isn’t something you manage. You confront it.
Church discipline isn’t about judgment. It’s about mission alignment. If someone refuses to be reconciled and continues to block the mission, then you have a choice: tolerate their behavior and let your church die, or deal with it like Jesus told you to. Reconciliation is always the goal. But if it can’t be reached, removal is the only faithful response. Anything less is complicity. Still on the fence? Read our founder’s post here: On Not Being Nice for the Sake of the Gospel
Action!
Download the Leadership Development Manual to start training your leaders to lead: https://go.effectivechurch.com/lm-leadership-development
