Discipline

(1)   It shall be the basic purpose of Sharon Baptist Church to emphasize to its members that every reasonable measure will be taken to assist any troubled member. The pastor, other members of the Church staff and deacons are available for counsel and guidance. Reconciliation rather than punishment should be the guideline, which governs the attitude of one member toward another.

(2)   Should some serious condition exist which would cause a member to become a liability to the general welfare of the Church, every reasonable measure will be taken by the pastor and by the deacons to resolve the problem in accordance with Matthew 18: 15-35, I Corinthians 5:1-13, II Corinthians 2:1-11. A spirit of Christian kindness and forbearance shall pervade all such proceedings. If it is determined that the welfare of the church will best be served by the exclusion of the member, the Church may take this action by a two-thirds vote of the members present at a meeting called for this purpose; and the Church may proceed to declare the offender to be no longer in the membership of the Church.

(3)   Any person whose membership has been terminated for any condition, which has made it necessary for the Church to exclude him, may upon his request be restored to membership by a vote of the church upon evidence of his repentance and reformation.