First Announcement

Beloved in the Lord:

The consistory has the sad duty of informing the congregation that a brother (sister), by baptism ingrafted into the Christian church, is guilty of sin against the …commandment and that he (she), in spite of many earnest admonitions, did not show evidence of true repentance. Therefore the consistory, to its great sorrow, is obliged to deal further with this brother (sister), and, if he (she) persists in his (her) sin, to proceed to his (her) excommunication. The consistory is making this known to you for the first time and seriously exhorts you to pray for him (her) continually, that it might please the Lord to bring him (her) to repentance.

Second Announcement

Beloved in the Lord:

The consistory, having taken the advice of classis, has the sad duty of informing the congregation that _______________, by baptism ingrafted into the Christian church, in spite of continual earnest admonitions, obstinately persists in sinning against the … commandment. Unless he (she) within … shows repentance and amendment of life, the consistory will be obliged to exclude this brother (sister) from the communion of the church because of his (her) wilful disobedience to the covenant of God. The congregation is exhorted to admonish this member with affection and to pray the Lord for his (her) conversion.

The Excommunication

Beloved in the Lord:

The consistory previously had the sad duty of informing the congregation that _______________, by baptism ingrafted into the Christian church, in spite of continual earnest admonitions, obstinately persisted in sinning against the … commandment, and that the consistory would be obliged to exclude this brother (sister) from the communion of the church, unless he (she) showed repentance and amendment of life.

The consistory must now inform the congregation that _______________, in spite of many earnest admonitions, obstinately denies the communion with Christ and His church, which was signified and sealed to him (her) in holy baptism.

Therefore, we as the elders of the church of God in this place, assembled in the Name and authority of Jesus Christ our Lord, declare before you all that for these reasons we hereby excommunicate _______________ from the church of the Lord and that, as long as he (she) persists obstinately and impenitently in his (her) sins, he (she) is excluded from the fellowship of Christ and all the spiritual blessings and benefits which God promises to and bestows upon His church; and that he (she) is therefore to be accounted by you as a Gentile and an outcast, according to the command of Christ, who says that whatever His ministers shall bind on earth shall be bound in heaven [*].

Further we exhort you, beloved Christians, not to associate with him (her), that he (she) may be ashamed. Do not look on him (her) as an enemy but warn him (her) as a brother (sister) [*].

In the meantime, take care lest there be in any of you an evil, unbelieving heart, departing from the living God [*]. Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. "Honour your father and mother" (this is the first commandment with a promise), "that it may be well with you and that you may live long on the earth." Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord. [*] You that are younger be subject to the elders. [*]

Do not love the world or the things in the world. If any one loves the world, love for the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes and the pride of life, is not of the Father but is of the world. And the world passes away, and the lust of it; but he who does the will of God abides for ever. [*]

But since it is God who works in us both to will and to work for His good pleasure [*], let us call upon His holy Name with confession of our sins.

Prayer