What does your church teach about forgiveness? Given you excommunicate when the your code of conduct is violated, how does this put Jesus' teaching about forgiveness into practice?

1. The church's teaching on forgiveness is clearly within the parameters of the Gospel. If you read carefully our statement about excommunication in the IPHC Manual: 2005-2009, page 119, you will see that it is only as a last resort and is not taken against someone who seeks forgiveness. Rather, it is taken against someone who fails to repent and remains in "flagrant cases of heresy, divisiveness, or immorality." This is also consistent with the teaching of Jesus in Matthew 18:15-17.

Doug Beacham
Executive Director
World Missions Ministries
International Pentecostal Holiness Church