Anabaptist Sex Offender Watch List

[Josh]

Perhaps a separate thread would be helpful.

However, Holdemans believe someone can be fully restored from any sin, no matter how serious. They simply believe there are certain death sins that, if one commits when a church members, means one can never serve in certain offices in church again.

This is not out of condemnation against the member or a lack of forgiveness to the penitent member. It is because the office of minister and deacon are to be “of good repute” and “above reproach”. Being a minister or deacon is not a reward or a career, but an act of sacrificial service. Some people are not in a position to sacrifice and serve.

I count many men as faithful brothers who have committed such sins and been fully restored. Some of them are the bedrock of the faithful members of their local churches and God powerfully uses them. It would be tragic to try to install them to an office which would pose a threat to both their souls and to the local church body.

[Josh]

Apostolic Christian Church of America used to believe one could never be restored from certain sins, although they don’t hold to that anymore. The Apostolic Christian Faith denomination, a split from ACCA, still holds to that, and that was the basis of the split. ACF has ended up being much more conservative.

I don’t know the ACC (Nazarean) practice in this area in the Eastern Conference.

[QuietObserver]

Nowadays this exclusion extends to missionaries as well. The reasons for this are theological; Holdemans believe the one cannot commit death sins and also still have the Holy Spirit. Thus, someone in death sin cannot have preaching or ministry inspired by the Holy Spirit.

Josh do you personally believe this way? This seems odd. Is this something from Menno Simons? I didn't realize that you could be a Christian without the Holy Spirit? I have no problem with the policy, but this theology is foreign to me.

When one commits death sins, one is not a “Christian”.

It’s obvious to me that one is not living a Spirit-filled Christian life whilst one commits adultery, sexually abuses children, or preaches false doctrine.

I understood you to say that someone who has committed a death sin could repent and be a Christian, however they would never have the Holy Spirit. Thanks for clarifying.

I don't understand the link between losing the Holy Spirit and being restricted from ministry. What if someone falls away however doesn't commit any death sins. However, obviously they lost the Holy Spirit. They repent. Are they eligible for leadership positions?

[Josh]

One is eligible unless one has been expelled for death sins involving either sexual immorality or false doctrine.

[Ken]

One is eligible unless one has been expelled for death sins involving either sexual immorality or false doctrine.

Is there a list of "death sins" you can provide? Or is it just sexual immorality and false doctrine? I find this topic interesting and not something I've been familiar with before.

[joshuabgood]

One is eligible unless one has been expelled for death sins involving either sexual immorality or false doctrine.

Is there a list of "death sins" you can provide? Or is it just sexual immorality and false doctrine? I find this topic interesting and not something I've been familiar with before.

Are the related to the Catholic "mortal sins?" Or the seven deadly sins as they say?

[Josh]

One is eligible unless one has been expelled for death sins involving either sexual immorality or false doctrine.

Is there a list of "death sins" you can provide? Or is it just sexual immorality and false doctrine? I find this topic interesting and not something I've been familiar with before.

Are the related to the Catholic "mortal sins?" Or the seven deadly sins as they say?

A death sin is a sin listed in the New Testament as causing spiritual death and separating one from God.

[Josh]

One is eligible unless one has been expelled for death sins involving either sexual immorality or false doctrine.

Is there a list of "death sins" you can provide? Or is it just sexual immorality and false doctrine? I find this topic interesting and not something I've been familiar with before.

I don’t have a list but it’s in some common Holdeman theological texts. I’ll look that up when I’m home.

Basically, some sins cause an immediate spiritual death and separation from God, like intending to murder someone and then going through with it.

Others don’t, like being angry at your coworker and yelling at them because they just repeated a mistake they’ve been trained to not do and that caused a lot of damage. (To make up a hypothetical scenario.)

[ohio jones]

A death sin is a sin listed in the New Testament as causing spiritual death and separating one from God.

In other words, all of them.

The wages of sin is death.

[Josh]

A death sin is a sin listed in the New Testament as causing spiritual death and separating one from God.

In other words, all of them.

The wages of sin is death.

But the church needs to handle them differently.

Someone who got angry this morning and muttered a bad word under their breath needs to be handled differently than a serially unrepentant adulterer.