A problem for Baptists

A while back I was participating in a certain Christian discussion forum when a Presbyterian brother (PCA) made a statement that astonished me. The question for discussion was something like

"Do you believe Arminianism is heresy?"

If you are a Calvinist and armchair apologist and theologian like myself, and have been around the internet block a few times, this question would pose no particular surprise or threat. We've seen it a hundered times, usually posted by disgruntled Christians who don't like the dogmatic way in which we defend the doctrines of sovereign grace.

But then my dear Presby friend, whom I am indebted to as one who was instrumental in bringing me to the realization that God is sovereign in the salvation of men, responded that "yes, but it is less of a heresy than the autonomous church government."

I was floored. I responded "are you really saying that congregationalism is a worse heresy than Arminianism? That Edwards, Spurgeon, Owen, Bunyan and more than I can think of are guilty of a worse error than those who deny biblical soteriology?"

He kind of blowed me off at first, perhaps sensing that I was sore about it and wishing to avoid a conflict, but I belabored the point until he finally responded in a very provocative way that made a point that I had not even considered.

He said "Joe, if you commit adultery against your wife and are disciplined at your church, all you have to do is go down the street to the next Baptist church."

I'm not sure why he made it personal against me (I have not committed adultery or been excommunicated) but I guess he was aggravated at my badgering him to qualify his original proposition. Nevertheless, he made a very valid point and one for which I had no response.

I still have no response. No matter how carefully we follow the biblical model of discipline in our own congregation, Baptists have no way to make it stick. Whether or not the local congregation should be concerned about this at all biblically is something I have not worked out (help here would be appreciated). But it seems to me at least on the face of it to be a legitimate concern.

I would propose that we Baptists can still keep our congregationalism and cooperate with other congregations in this matter. I see no need for ruling councils to be over the local churches to deal with this problem. Even as we may cooperate with one another, for example, in associations that affirm a common confession of faith or pool resources for educating our leaders, there should be a way that associated Baptist churches can cooperate in matters of discipline so that the above scenario can be avoided.

Perhaps we should not be so autonomous that we banish those who decay the unity and purity of our church only to have them infiltrate another church "down the street" with their destructive influence. Perhaps we should modify our governmental beliefs so that we don't simply say "he's somebody else's problem now".