Suspension from Communion
This past Sunday our pastor denied Communion to the president of our congregation. The only reason given was that until differences between the pastor and the president are resolved, he is not allowed to attend Holy Communion. For now, my question is this, does WELS support this pastor's decision in using Lord's Supper as a threat to gain his own way (the pastor's) or be denied God's Holy Sacraments that promise us forgiveness, life, and salvation? Ever?
Seminary students preparing for service in our church body as pastors learn this in The Shepherd Under Christ: a Textbook for Pastoral Theology – “Neither the church nor its pastor has the ability or the right to examine and judge hearts. The pastor will accept the confession of the mouth and dare not judge a person to be impenitent on the basis of feelings the pastor has about that person’s sincerity. But when impenitence has become outwardly evident, the pastor must avoid becoming a partaker of another’s sin by knowingly giving communion to the openly impenitent (1 Tm 5:22). Withholding communion is then a forceful preaching of the law to call the sinner to repentance. Likewise such withholding will avoid public offense which could result from giving communion to one whose sin is public and whose impenitence is evident” (p. 81).
“Suspension from Communion” is a course of action, in keeping with Matthew 18, that is available for a pastor as he works with an impenitent church member. Any disciplinary action by a pastor is not to be for personal advantage but to try to lead an impenitent sinner to repentance. The motive of church discipline is always to be that of love and concern for impenitent sinners.