Donald Miller on "Church Discipline"

In a recent Relevant Magazine article, best-selling author Donald Miller raises the issue of church discipline . . . kind of.  Miller raises the question if it is ever right for a pastor to ask someone to move on to another church (making it clear that the pastor isn't kicking them out of the Church; big C).  He writes: 

A couple times at a church here in Portland, the lead pastor has very kindly asked people to leave. I remember a specific time he just stood up and asked how many people had been coming to church for a year or more but hadn’t found a way to plug into the community. He then invited them to plug in (which at this church means to serve or find a home group or work in a ministry), and then told them if they hadn’t found a place that fit them, it might be time to try another church. It sounds rude, and the pastor wasn’t making anybody feel guilty—he just needed the chairs. He didn’t want to have to preach another service. The next week, there was a slight drop in attendance which freed up some chairs. I always admired that about this pastor.

So is Miller advocating church discipline?  I don't think so.  What Miller offers is an article on leadership apart from discipline.  Instead of discipline, what he wants to see more pastors do is lead their congregations to fulfill their calling and if anyone in the community doesn't quit fit, perhaps it is best to encourage them to get plugged into a community that they are more likely to get plugged into (I use the word "community" purposely here)

Nowhere in this article does Miller make a Biblical argument.  No passages are referenced, no exegesis or theological concepts are given.  One would think he would reference Matthew 18, 1 Corinthians 5, and 1 Timothy as examples of church discipline, but then again that isn't his point.  Miller isn't seeking to remove sinners from membership for the purpose of evangelizing them (for that would be divisive), but instead wants to encourage everyone.

This isn't an attack on Miller, but a call for Christians to think seriously about this issue.  The biggest issue that Christians ignore in the Bible isn't global warming or poverty, but church discipline.  Is what Miller offers the biblical idea?  I don't think so, but he does raise an important question:  is it ever right to ask someone to leave a church?  I think so, but not for the same reasons that Miller offers.


Relevant Magazine - Asking People to Leave Church  


For more:
Reviews - Blue-Like Jazz 
Reviews - "Father Fiction" by Donald Miller