From the earliest days churches have had gatekeepers. Great chunks of Acts and Paul's letters are about keeping church order and imposing codes of behaviour on congregations.
Nothing has changed. Churches have theological doctrines which mark out one denomination from another. To be a full member an individual signs up to accept the doctrine. Rules and regulations set out how church officers are to undertake their duties and live their lives. There may be another set of rules which are intended to determine how church members generally are to behave.
Failure to adhere to doctrine, regulations and rules may have serious consequences for an individual vis-a-vis church membership. It is all about control: a top down paternalistic and patronising structure.
The doctrine of a church is a manifestation of its theology and finds expression in sermons based on its interpretation of scripture. Thus the church tells it members what to think and do. The Liberation Theology movement arose in South America as an expression of grassroots interpretation of scripture. It was, and is, a challenge to the authority of the church, a challenge to the gatekeepers.
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