What procedures did the conference fail to follow?

The Resolution voted by the Village Church mentions the allegation that “the Executive Committee of the Michigan Conference has failed to follow biblical principles and the procedures of the Church Manual in acting on its grievances against Ron Kelly and Conrad Vine”. Some have asked what procedures they should have followed, especially given the widespread belief that there was no church discipline involved.

The key word here is grievances. The Church Manual gives instructions for how to deal with grievances against members.

Settlement of Grievances of the Church Against Members—At times Church organizations or institutions may have grievances against members. In such circumstances, Church administrators must, in Christian forbearance, keep in mind the biblical counsel for settling disputes among Christians and apply that counsel to the settlement of grievances of the Church against its members. The Church should, in preference to litigating matters in a secular court, make every reasonable effort in cooperation with the member to provide a process by which orderly settlement of the problem can be accomplished.

The Church recognizes the need of exercising great care to protect the highest spiritual interests of its members, to ensure fair treatment, and to safeguard the name of the Church. It cannot afford to deal lightly with such sins or permit personal considerations to affect its actions, and at the same time it must strive to reclaim and restore those who err.

“If the erring one repents and submits to Christ’s discipline, he is to be given another trial. And even if he does not repent, even if he stands outside the church, God’s servants still have a work to do for him. They are to seek earnestly to win him to repentance. And, however aggravated may have been his offense, if he yields to the striving of the Holy Spirit and, by confessing and forsaking his sin, gives evidence of repentance, he is to be forgiven and welcomed to the fold again. His brethren are to encourage him in the right way, treating him as they would wish to be treated were they in his place, considering themselves lest they also be tempted.”—7T 263.

A few items bear noting:

• The Manual says that administrators must apply “the biblical counsel for settling disputes among Christians”. This is significant given the stance of the conference president that Matthew 18 does not apply to public figures, and so is irrelevant to his treatment of Conrad Vine. There is certainly room for discussion on exactly when that particular passage applies. But the Manual admonishes church leaders not to let that ambiguity keep them from following Jesus’ counsel.
• Church leaders should “make every reasonable effort in cooperation with the member to provide a process by which orderly settlement of the problem can be accomplished.” This was not done in the case of Conrad Vine or of Ron Kelly.
• The goal of the actions taken by church administrators should be to “reclaim and restore those who err”, not to prematurely shun them as heretics.

The Michigan Conference leadership should have made “every reasonable effort” to resolve its grievance against Conrad Vine. An essential step in this process would have been sitting down with him and opening the Bible to show him his alleged errors. Instead, the Executive Committee, based on soundbites from a sermon, and without giving Vine a hearing, voted to ban him.