Question

Can a full member of the congregation, who apparently lives a decent life and is not in open sin or under censor, be forbidden by the consistory to attend the Lord's Supper?  If so, then for what reasons?  Linda

Answer

Hi Linda,

If all the 'conditions' you have stated are correct, then he or she can't be forbidden to attend the Lord's Supper.  Only if there is a sin issue known to others or an obvious doctrinal error he or she is holding, then a consistory has the duty to withhold the privilege of attending the Lord's Supper. One item in your question is the statement 'who apparently lives a decent life' and that could mean that the consistory knows things about this person that you don't know. So be careful to make a judgment if you don't have the 'inside information' the spiritual leadership in the church may have.  We as leaders also have no duty to disclose the information on which we would make such a decision to protect the individual member.  So I caution you to be careful in making your judgments. It is possible and even pastoral to advise a member not to partake of the Lord's Supper if it is clear that a person is deceiving himself spiritually.  But ultimately the decision to partake rests with the person.

Warmly,
Pastor Vergunst