DALLAS — Does a church have the right to publicly reveal a person's private sins? A Dallas court is being asked to decide whether Watermark Community Church can do exactly that to a man and a woman identified in court records as "John Doe" and "Jane Roe."

Their attorney says that the pair thought they had revealed their sins to Watermark's pastor confidentially and that their behavior should not be public.

Church officials say they are following a process of church discipline outlined in the Gospel of Matthew and written into the church's bylaws.

"Basically, we're being sued because we're seeking to love 'John Doe' in accordance with the principles outlined by God's word," said the pastor, the Rev. Todd Wagner.

Neither church officials nor the pair's attorney would specify the behavior involved.

Leaders of the northeast Dallas church said they recently became aware that "John Doe," who joined the church more than a year ago, was "having some struggles in his walk with Christ," Wagner said.

Church elders began the process: Confront the person one to one, then with several others, then "tell it to the church." At every step, the person is asked to stop offending.

The man refused the private interventions and said he was quitting the church, church officials said. But church bylaws say a member "may not resign from membership in an attempt to avoid such care and correction." Watermark's next step would have been to send more than a dozen letters to people who know "John Doe."

That's when the lawsuit was filed. They obtained a temporary restraining order April 28.

But the order was dismissed May 5 after Watermark's lawyers argued that it violated the church's right to freely exercise its religion.

The case is winding its way through appeals.