Article IX
Section Four: Discipline of
Elders
The disciplining of Elders shall follow
the example set forth by the Apostle Paul in I Timothy 5:19-21.
Because of the nature of the office, Elders are held to a higher
standard of accountability and shall be dealt with more severely than a
lay person. According to the pronouncement of Paul, if more than
one witness comes forth with an accusation against an Elder, and the
accusation is found to be true, the Elder is to come before the church
for a stern rebuke. In this case, the Pastor (or a Lay Elder in
the event that the Pastor is being brought before the church for
discipline) shall announce a special meeting from the pulpit on a Sunday
morning during a regularly-scheduled worship service. The special
meeting shall take place no more than three days after the announcement.
If there is no evidence of repentance, the Elder in question shall be
removed immediately from his position and will no longer be a member of
Valley View Baptist Church. However, if there is a clear and
public repentance, the Elder in question shall be comforted by all of
the church. Upon his repentance, the church will be asked
immediately if they think that the Elder’s sin warrants his removal from
the office of Elder. A two-thirds (2/3) majority vote of members
present at the special meeting will suffice to remove the Elder in
question.
