a. Discipline shall be applied by the consistory only after an
adequate investigation has been made and the member has had ample
opportunity to present his/her case.
b. A person who persistently rejects the admonition of the
consistory shall be suspended from the privileges of membership.
The privileges of confessing membership include but are not
limited to presentation of children for holy baptism, the right
to vote at congregational meetings, and eligibility to hold
office.
c. A person may be excluded from membership only after the
consistory has secured the approval of the classis.
d. The role of the classis in giving approval is
1) To judge whether proper procedure has been followed.
2) To assure that adequate pastoral care has been extended to the
person.
3) To determine that the consistory has advanced adequate reasons
for proceeding with discipline.
e. The approval of classis does not obligate a consistory to
exclude a person from membership since repentance and restoration
to the full fellowship of the church are always possible.
f. The liturgical forms and announcements for admonition and
discipline may be used if the consistory judges that these will
further the purposes of discipline and will serve the welfare of
the congregation.
(Acts of Synod 1991, p. 718)
(Acts of Synod 2011, pp. 829-30)