If the sinning church member still will not repent, Matthew 18 says to take the matter before the church, Noblit said, noting that First Baptist does this in Sunday School departments initially.

"In a church our size (approximately 1,000 active members) ... we tell it to a Sunday School class or maybe a Sunday School department," Noblit said. "And that group of people will begin to appeal to that person. If they refuse to listen to that group, then the Bible says to bring it before the church."

When a discipline case proceeds to the point of coming before the entire church, Noblit shares with members the steps already taken and mentions the name of the offender and the sin in question. The church subsequently votes on the member's removal.

"We exhort the body to not be gossiping or spreading strife, but to pray," Noblit said. "As the Scripture says, if they see this person or have fellowship with them, they're to humbly appeal to them to repent and be restored to the body."

In most cases discipline never advances to the point of a vote to dismiss the offender from the church because people generally repent early in the process, Noblit said.

"Fortunately there is repentance very often," the pastor said. "The great majority of times things can remain covered. The Scripture says it's a blessing to cover sin. It doesn't mean you excuse sin, but you deal with it confidentially and privately. And that is discipline. But it is fairly common in the life of our church to publicly dismiss someone -- it has happened numerous times."

When a person is dismissed from the congregation, the dismissal is never permanent and the offender may always repent and be restored, Noblit said, adding that restoration is the goal of discipline.

One of First Baptist's many examples of restoration is Scott Carrier, who was dismissed five years ago for drunkenness. After a process of recovery, he was allowed back into the church's membership and is an active member today.

Carrier said he deserved the discipline and that God used it to change his life.

"It was genuine repentance on my part, and after a time I was allowed back into the church," Carrier told Baptist Press. "One of the major things [discipline] did for me was humble me. It also let me know I was coming back to something worth coming back to. I was coming back to something that's valuable and not to be toyed with and not to be sinned against."

Being disciplined was "grievous" initially, Carrier continued, but brought a "peaceable and good fruit.”

"I can honestly say today my life is better than it's ever been. I'm closer to God than I've ever been. My marriage is in better shape than it's ever been, and God's done some remarkable things in His grace."