Daily Baptist Encyclopedia Citations.—When a member of a Baptist church has sinned grievously against his Master

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 · Daily Baptist Encyclopedia Citations.—When a member of a Baptist church has sinned grievously against his Master, and when the remonstrances of his brethren fail to bring him to repentance, our last resort is excommunication. Previous to this sorrowful act a notification, or citation, as it is called, is sent to the offender inviting him to attend the church meeting to be held at a time and place mentioned, to show cause why he should not be excluded from the rights and privileges of the church of which he is a member. If he accepts the invitation he has every opportunity to defend himself or to confess his sin and sorrow, and thereby avert the impending expulsion. To send a citation is the uniform law of all Baptist churches when the residence of the accused can be found, except in a small number of cases, such as sexual crimes or murders, when no amount of repentance would justify retention in church membership, and the testimony against the accused is overwhelming. From the Baptist Encyclopedia by William Cathcart