p. 144 | Keep your Covenant by Ellet Joseph Waggoner

Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · Apr 19, 1870

Keep your Covenant.

By Ellet Joseph Waggoner

CONFERENCE recommended, and the churches have generally adopted, a rule requiring members living at a distance from the locality of the church, to report themselves by letter or otherwise at stated times. The church of Battle Creek has had a large number of non-resident members; and at a church meeting held April 6, it was ascertained that only three of that large number had reported by letter, for some time. For this continued violation of obligation, they were all, the three as above excepted, suspended from the fellowship of the church, so to remain till they give satisfactory evidence of worthiness.

This is right. Discipline is necessary to the life and growth of a church, and members who disregard the correct rules of a church are no benefit to it, but rather a detriment. Such persons should also bear in mind that a timely report of their standing would have been satisfactory; but having neglected so long to make that, they have actually lost their standing, and must give good evidence that they are making efforts to recover it. J. H. WAGGONER.