The LCS Factor

[Toledo]

Originally Posted by Shawn

I do think that there can be an understanding offered to TJ and Matt in Toledo's experience (which was my experience also) that we all were not in the inner circle choosing who stays and who goes.

I should make two points here:

1) That is not an excuse that I can use;

2) I cannot recall any sort of discussion regarding who should stay or who should go. It was not our practice to ban or "quarantine" or forbid anyone from coming to our meetings in any of the midwest churches.

We had a significant number of brothers who were happy to bring dissension into our meetings, yet we tolerated them. We even welcomed them, and tried to accommodate them as best we could. Those who eventually divided themselves off usually did so of their own accord, and even so, were often encouraged to return. Only rarely were brothers at long last asked to cease and desist, and even then it was only after the most egregious offenses.

If you read Norm's thread regarding Detroit over on the Bereans forum, you may recall how tender and solicitous he was with regard to the divisive and dissenting brothers, and how careful he was to document the efforts to resolve any difficulties. In Columbus and in Mansfield, despite the conniving of LSM to produce parties among us, we made every effort to restore the divisive brothers.

It was not our practice to put anyone out of the meetings without serious cause. In most such cases we were simply recognizing the choice of the dissenting ones to divide themselves off.