Manila, Philippines: The Philippines-Micronesia Field held a webinar on “Judicial Administration: Understanding the Manual Provisions on Church Discipline” on 15 March 2025. Over 100 pastors, church leaders, and district leaders attended the online webinar.
Atty. Verny Camacho provided an in-depth discussion about the discipline in the church that was reinforced in the Manual of the Church of the Nazarene. It featured principles of church disciple that include protecting church integrity, solving conflicts inside the church, and the process of restoration. Camacho emphasized the importance of handling the conflicts with due process within the church. He pointed out the stages of conflict resolution, which have been part of the manual, from informal reconciliation to formal and systematic investigation, and church disciplinary actions.
This webinar also focused on the role of church leaders in maintaining proper accountability while upholding grace and redemption. Atty. Camacho presented illustrations in a real-world setup of the applications of the church judicial process that would help the church leaders navigate complex issues and sensitive cases in their respective ministries. Rev. Arnel Piliin, Field Strategy Coordinator, encouraged the participants to apply what they learned in the webinar in their local churches and districts. The participants acknowledged the value of the webinar for the clarity and depth of the discussion. One of the participants highlighted that this kind of webinar will greatly help them understand the sensitive harmory of justice and mercy in church discipline.
The webinar concluded with an Open Forum, where Atty. Camacho answered questions about the different situations the church leaders are experiencing in their area of ministry.
The importance of having this kind of webinar upholds the commitment of the field in developing church leaders with biblical and legal guidance in fostering an accountable church community.
