WHY BECOME A MEMBER OF A CHURCH?
A question I receive often is about church membership. If I am joined to Christ when I believe the gospel, isn’t that enough? Why should I become a member of a church?
Let’s say a man walks in off the street that none of us knows and says, “I believe in Jesus. May I teach your 5th-6th grade Sunday school class?” What would you think of our leadership if we said: “You’re a member of the body of Christ! Of course! You may start teaching next week!” Would you want to entrust your children to the care of our Sunday school or any of our children’s ministries?
Membership in a local church is a practical way of helping our leadership to deal with issues of this nature.
The very day that the first church came into existence in Jerusalem, about 3,000 people responded in faith to Peter’s gospel message. Acts 2.41 says that "those who received his word [i.e. those that favorably accepted it, believed it] were baptized and there were added that day about three thousand souls."
What does it mean “they were added ”? Added to what?
It appears that they were added to that group of people that responded to the gospel (“those who received his word”) and were willing to publicly profess that belief (“were baptized”) and who then submitted themselves to the teaching and leadership of the apostles: “And they devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and prayers” (Acts 2.42).
When it says “they were added”, it tells us that the apostles knew who was “with” them and who wasn’t, who was “in” and who was “out”. Put another way, they knew their voluntary “members”. That’s really what membership in a local church does: identifies those that willingly want to participate and belong.
When a person wants to become a member of our church, they explain their commitment to Christ and demonstrate that publicly by baptism (or by having been baptized elsewhere). They also agree to our statement of faith – the core doctrines that we believe and teach from the Bible.
Should they choose to teach or lead at any level, members are declaring that they will teach in accord with the statement of faith, and should questions arise about something they are teaching, they agree to submit to the leadership of the elders of the church for confirmation that what they are teaching is acceptable or, in the case that it isn’t acceptable, for discussion, instruction, and correction.
Likewise, if there is blatant external sin in a member’s life that disturbs the unity and peace of the body, members voluntarily agree to participate in the process of confrontation and correction to get them back on track in their spiritual life. I guess we could do that with anyone that walked in the door and started attending services. But how do I know if that person is a believer? How do I know they understand the process of correction? How do I know they want to participate in it? Those who choose membership voluntarily declare agreement and willingness to participate when they are “added”.
There are lots of helping ministries that regular attenders who don’t agree to membership can do in our church. But those that want to teach or lead in any way are asked to voluntarily become formal members of the church so that what we stand for and teach may be safeguarded.
Let’s say a man walks in off the street that none of us knows and says, “I believe in Jesus. May I teach your 5th-6th grade Sunday school class?” What would you think of our leadership if we said: “You’re a member of the body of Christ! Of course! You may start teaching next week!” Would you want to entrust your children to the care of our Sunday school or any of our children’s ministries?
Membership in a local church is a practical way of helping our leadership to deal with issues of this nature.
The very day that the first church came into existence in Jerusalem, about 3,000 people responded in faith to Peter’s gospel message. Acts 2.41 says that "those who received his word [i.e. those that favorably accepted it, believed it] were baptized and there were added that day about three thousand souls."
What does it mean “they were added ”? Added to what?
It appears that they were added to that group of people that responded to the gospel (“those who received his word”) and were willing to publicly profess that belief (“were baptized”) and who then submitted themselves to the teaching and leadership of the apostles: “And they devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and prayers” (Acts 2.42).
When it says “they were added”, it tells us that the apostles knew who was “with” them and who wasn’t, who was “in” and who was “out”. Put another way, they knew their voluntary “members”. That’s really what membership in a local church does: identifies those that willingly want to participate and belong.
When a person wants to become a member of our church, they explain their commitment to Christ and demonstrate that publicly by baptism (or by having been baptized elsewhere). They also agree to our statement of faith – the core doctrines that we believe and teach from the Bible.
Should they choose to teach or lead at any level, members are declaring that they will teach in accord with the statement of faith, and should questions arise about something they are teaching, they agree to submit to the leadership of the elders of the church for confirmation that what they are teaching is acceptable or, in the case that it isn’t acceptable, for discussion, instruction, and correction.
Likewise, if there is blatant external sin in a member’s life that disturbs the unity and peace of the body, members voluntarily agree to participate in the process of confrontation and correction to get them back on track in their spiritual life. I guess we could do that with anyone that walked in the door and started attending services. But how do I know if that person is a believer? How do I know they understand the process of correction? How do I know they want to participate in it? Those who choose membership voluntarily declare agreement and willingness to participate when they are “added”.
There are lots of helping ministries that regular attenders who don’t agree to membership can do in our church. But those that want to teach or lead in any way are asked to voluntarily become formal members of the church so that what we stand for and teach may be safeguarded.