In any dispute arising between church members or staff pertaining to any matters of spiritual teaching or practices, church finances, or title to property purchased with church contributions, the dispute shall be resolved by the elders.Believing that the Bible commands Christians to make every effort to live at peace and to resolve disputes with each other in private or within the Christian Church (Matt 18: 15–20, 1 Cor 6: 1–8), the church members shall resolve conflict among themselves according to biblically based principles without reliance on secular courts. Consistent with its call to peacemaking, the church shall encourage the use of biblically based principles to resolve disputes between itself and those outside the church, whether Christian or pagan, and whether individuals or corporate entities.