April 30, 2009
Maurice VanTil
2989 265A Street
Aldergrove, B.C.
V4W 3B6
Dear br. VanTil:
For a long time now, you have not been living as a faithful and living member of the congregation of the Lord Jesus Christ. Instead, you have been going your own way, doing what seems right in your own eyes. Because of your sinful attitude and behaviour, we have had no choice but to use the keys of the kingdom of heaven entrusted to us by the Lord Jesus Christ. You have been excluded from the Lord's Table. We have prayed for you publicly in the worship services. We have exhorted you to return to faithfulness in the Church of God. We had hoped that these serious measures would serve to warn you and to shock you to repentance. To our great sorrow, however, the use of Christian discipline has not yet had its desired effect of bringing you back to the right path. the path of faith in Christ and obedience to His Word. You continue to worship God in the place of your own choosing and not where God has called you. You continue to neglect the lawful worship of God's people on each and every Lord's Day. You also refuse to meet with the elders except on your own terms of having witnesses present.
Because of your persistence in sin, the Consistory will now proceed to your excommunication from the Church of God. On May 17th, 2009, the following
announcement will be made to the congregation:
The consistory had the sad duty to inform you already twice that brother Maurice Vantil has become guilty of sinning against the fourth commandment. You also heard that he refused to repent and further hardened his heart, so that he had to be suspended from the holy supper. Yet, no true repentance was shown. On the contrary, all admonitions remained fruitless. Therefore, to our great sorrow, we now inform you for the third time that we have to deal further with this brother. If he does not come to repentance, he will be excluded from the communion of the Church of Christ on Sunday, June 7th, 2009. For the last time we call upon you to admonish him most urgently and in love. Pray the Lord that it may please Him to lead this brother to repentance, so that he may not harden himself to the utmost.
Br. VanTil, Consistory pleads with you to renew your contact with us. We ask you to be ready to meet with us as those who are accountable for your spiritual life and to not make obstacles for such meetings. We warn you and exhort you to return to the path of faithful participation in the life and worship of the congregation of the Lord. God is calling you to be reunited and to remain united with His people. You are serving Him on your own terms and in the place of your own choosing and not where He has called you and given you a place among His people. May the Lord graciously work in you a spirit of true repentance.
Rev. Rob Schouten
Chairman
Br. Casey Dehaas, Elder &
Corresponding clerk