Members who engage in conduct that is considered inappropriate may be counseled privately by elders, and congregational responsibilities may be withheld or restricted.
[10] After resignation or removal from an appointed position, an announcement is made during the congregation's Service Meeting indicating that the person is "no longer serving [in that capacity]", without elaboration.
[12] Members who persist in a course considered scripturally wrong after repeated counsel by elders, but who are not considered guilty of something for which they could be formally shunned, can be "marked", based on Jehovah's Witnesses' interpretation of 2 Thessalonians 3:14–15 (NWT): "14 But if anyone is not obedient to our word through this letter, keep this one marked and stop associating with him, so that he may become ashamed.
[16] For many years, the practice of "marking" was indicated by means of a warning talk given to the congregation outlining the inappropriate behavior, without explicitly naming any particular individual.
[17] Though not shunned, "marked" individuals are looked upon as "bad association" and social interaction outside of formal worship settings is generally curtailed.
At times, some temporary policy may be announced that might be seen as disciplinary; for example, it may be that an additional attendant is assigned outside a Kingdom Hall to discourage children from running on the sidewalk.
Such actions include: If an active baptized Witness is considered to have committed a "serious sin" for which the individual must demonstrate formal repentance, correction (or, "discipline") is administered by the congregation's body of elders.
An individual may also be shunned for promoting activities that are considered "serious sins" without actually engaging in the practice,[23][25] or for accepting related employment (e.g. selling lottery tickets, firearms, or cigarettes; working in an abortion clinic, church or military base).
[63][64] Evidence for actions that can result in congregational discipline is obtained by voluntary confession to the elders or by witnesses of the violation.
A minimum of two witnesses is required to establish guilt, based on their understanding of Deuteronomy 17:6 and Matthew 18:16, unless the person confesses voluntarily.
[68] A congregation's body of elders considers confessions or credible allegations of serious sin and decides whether a committee will be formed to address the matter.
The committee arranges a formal hearing to determine the circumstances of the sin, whether the accused is repentant, and whether disciplinary actions will be taken.
[78] If the accused repeatedly fails to attend an arranged hearing, the committee will proceed but will not make a decision until evidence and testimony by witnesses are considered.
If there is no admission of guilt, the individual is informed of the source of the charges, and witnesses are presented one at a time to give evidence.
If the action is known generally by the entire congregation or the wider community, an announcement is made at the midweek meeting that the person "has been reproved".
[90] Serious violations of these requirements can result in removal from the congregation (similar to excommunication) and subsequent shunning if not deemed repentant.
[102] When a person is removed or is deemed to have disassociated, an announcement is made at the next midweek meeting that the named individual "is no longer one of Jehovah's Witnesses", without any elaboration.
[122] Reinstated individuals may be ineligible for many years from serving in positions of responsibility such as an elder, ministerial servant, or pioneer.
[124] If an unbaptized individual is deemed unrepentant of actions for which baptized members might be removed, an announcement would be made that the person "is no longer a publisher of the good news.
The elders might privately warn individuals in the congregation if the unbaptized person is considered to pose "an unusual threat".
[124] The only way to officially leave Jehovah's Witnesses is to disassociate or be removed, and both entail the same set of prohibitions and penalties, with no provision for continued normal association.
[125] Critics contend that the judicial process itself, due to its private and nearly autonomous nature, directly contradicts the precedent found in the Bible and the organization's own teachings and can be used in an arbitrary manner if there is consensus among just a few to abuse their authority.
... We find the practice of shunning not to constitute a sufficient threat to the peace, safety, or morality of the community as to warrant state intervention.
[128][129][130]In a review of the case, the 1988 Washington University Law Quarterly remarked: The Ninth Circuit's extension of the free exercise clause to include a privilege against tort liability is incorrect.
"In the end, religious groups are free to determine their own membership and rules; courts will not intervene in such matters save where it is necessary to resolve an underlying legal dispute," Justice Malcolm Rowe wrote in the decision.
[132] In 2021, Belgium issued a €12,000 fine to Jehovah's Witnesses for discrimination and inciting hatred against people who left the religion.