1. When a personal offense has been committed, whether the offense is public or private in nature, the injured party shall use the means prescribed by our Lord for bringing the offender to a recognition of his wrong and shall exhaust every effort to effect a reconciliation.
(a) He shall go in the spirit of Christian love and forgiveness and endeavor to reconcile the trouble between himself and the one who has committed the offense. (Matthew 18: 15).
(b) If the breach cannot be healed privately, the injured party is to take with him one or more other members of the Church and repeat the effort to effect a reconciliation. (Matthew 18:16).
(c) After a reasonable time, if it appears that the efforts to effect a reconciliation are in vain, the matter may be referred to the church court which has jurisdiction. (Matthew 18:17).
2. Personal offenses satisfactorily settled between the parties concerned are not, as a rule, to be inquired into by the church court. Judicial process by a church court, however, is not to be precluded in such cases where the personal offense is so generally known or of such a nature as to require judicial investigation.
3. In all cases of private offense, any one to whom the offense is known shall endeavor to effect a reconciliation without disturbing the peace of the Church.
4. An informer who has not taken these previous steps to effect a reconciliation is himself to be considered worthy of censure.
5. In certain cases, the person to whom the offense is know, before making any effort to remove it, may desire to obtain the counsel and assistance of the pastor or some officer in the Church. To seek such counsel and assistance in order to remove the offense privately is not only not censurable, but in some cases highly proper.
6. It is the duty of pastors and other session members to endeavor earnestly, according to the spirit of the Lord's command, to handle all private offenses that may come to their knowledge and maintain the peace which is often disturbed by public process.
7. The peace and purity of the Church is best maintained when private offenses are resolved by the parties immediately involved and kept confidential.