Examination of the Biblical Mandate for, Precedence of, and Contemporary Ethical Issues Related to Disfellowshipping in the Christian Community

Disfellowshipping is the act of removing an individual from the church rolls and barring the same from activities of the church. This rare occurrence is often an obscure paragraph or two in a church's by-laws, constitution, or other document containing guidelines for discipline. Personally, I have never been involved in a disfellowshipping. I have discussed the procedure and the possibility of it but only in a theoretical sense. It has never been an issue of concern.
In the past decade there have been several high-profile cases of disfellowshipping individuals or even entire congregations. Most of these cases have been not only geographically remote, but also they have been contextually remote from my own situation. …