If a lay member has been dismissed from the Church for a violation of the scriptural teachings concerning divorce, he may be reinstated by the local church when he evidences repentance and amendment of life and meets the requirements of Church membership. The Wesleyan Church deplores the societal trends toward violence which appear to contribute to extreme abuses within many families. However, the rate of men as victims and women as abusers is rapidly increasing. Such violence is not limited to one economic, racial, or ethnic group. People are more likely to be physically assaulted, beaten, or even killed by a loved one in their own home than in any other place.
Street crime occurs at only a fraction of the rate of domestic violence.
An estimated three to four million American women are battered annually by their husbands or partners. Battering is defined as repeatedly subjecting a person to forceful physical, social, and psychological behavior in order to coerce such persons without regard to their rights. Domestic violence is not a twentieth century phenomenon. It is as old as history, but it is one which the church has hesitated to tackle. Through Jesus Christ, redemption of the abuser and victim is the mission of the church.