From Paul to Spanky: Musings on Membership* by Jonathan Pratt
To continue the discussion on church membership versus just attending regularly, consider the following three reasons from Scripture...
Accountability. When Paul spoke to the Ephesian elders in Acts 20:28, he demanded that
they pay primary attention to their “flock of which the Holy Spirit has made
you overseers.” How did the elders know who was in their flock and who was
not? Only those who had made a covenant
commitment to the elders could truly qualify. While it is true that the elders
seek to comfort and teach and help non-members, their primary attention is to
the members of the flock, to those who have entered into a covenant agreement
with them. The Bible is not explicit regarding the mechanism used by the early
church to show the elders who had made this commitment and who had not, but something
must have existed to show the elders which sheep were committed to their flock.
In our setting and for hundreds of years in church history, the best means we
have to make this determination is church membership. This allows the elders to
know who would like to receive care, warning, comfort, instruction, etc.
Without this acknowledgement (covenant) that church membership provides, the
care given by the elders is greatly diminished.
God uses church discipline as a warning to Christians and
thus as a means of sanctification.1 When fellow members see the
results of unrepentant sin, they are far more likely to take personal account
of their own spiritual lives. But when one is not part of the membership and
therefore, insulated from the possibility of discipline, he has denied himself
that very element of fear that helps our sanctification (2 Cor 7:8–11; 1 Tim
5:20). Certainly, excommunication from the assembly is the most extreme form of
accountability, but it is a necessary and motivating one that non-members
cannot appreciate.
Consideration.
How should the people in a local assembly relate to the “regular attender?” Is he
or she a believer? Is he desirous of being part of this church? Should he be
allowed to join in the decisions made by the gathered assembly? Should he be
permitted to minister in the nursery or choir or youth group? These kinds of
questions enter the minds of members in regard to non-members. Indeed,
consideration of other brothers and sisters is a major reason for declaring
one’s desire for membership in a local church.
Previously, I spoke of the covenant relationship between
the elders and the flock that applies to the request for membership. This also
applies to the relationship of one member to another. We are all required to be
devoted to one another, to honor, admonish, greet, edify, and submit to one
another.2 The only way we can know if a non-member is a Christian
and wants us to relate to him or her in these ways (all of which are commanded
in Scripture) is for that attender to declare that he wants to be in covenant
with other Christians. Again, the mechanism we use to provide for this kind of
agreement is church membership.
But there are even more basic issues related to one’s
membership commitment. In declaring one’s desire to join with a local assembly
like that of EBC, a person is telling his fellow Christians that he is a
believer and that he agrees with the doctrinal position of the church. After
making this kind of declaration, everyone in the assembly can have confidence
that they are praying with a believer when they pray with a new member, that
they are on the same theological page when they serve in ministry together, and
that they can trust the new member to teach what the church’s doctrinal
statement affirms when asked to substitute in a Sunday School class. But if a
“regular attender” does not show consideration to his fellow Christians by
officially joining the church, then there are always lingering doubts as to
that attender’s faith commitment.
Obedience.
Just as parents are called upon to train and discipline their children (Eph
6:4; Col
In addition all Christians are called upon to use their
particular gifts and talents in service to the other members in the body of
Christ (1 Cor 12:7, 27–31; Rom 12:4–8). Failure to serve one’s fellow believers
is a sin. Since church membership is the only mechanism we have to determine
whether or not one is a Christian and holds to the doctrinal beliefs of our
assembly, one must join this church before having the opportunity to use one’s
gifts in service to the rest of the body.
Membership does have its privileges and duties. We are
called to submit to our spiritual leaders, to make decisions about our church,
to hold one another accountable, to show consideration to one another, and to
be obedient to the commands of Scripture. Without membership in a visible local
assembly it is impossible for the Christian to fulfill these God-ordained
responsibilities. While there might be other mechanisms an organization could
choose to establish its group identity, local church membership has been the
best solution both historically and practically.
At Eden Baptist the requirements for church membership
include a personal testimony of salvation by faith in the gospel, baptism by
immersion following salvation, general agreement with the Church Covenant, and
a desire to glorify God with one’s life. I encourage all “regular attenders”
who desire to worship and to serve with us to join with us in membership. Your
spiritual life will be enhanced as you are privileged to fulfill God’s commands
to his people, and our church’s ministry will be enhanced as we join forces in
the cause of the Gospel.
(*Heart, Soul, and Might is a compilation of various devotional readings by the faculty of Central seminary, edited by Kevin Bauder. The chapter excerpted above is written by Jonathan Pratt, and is a reprint from the Eden Baptist Church quarterly newsletter, Vox Ecclesia. A sampling of its past issues can be viewed at http://www.edenbaptist.org/category/newsletter/
No comments:
Post a Comment
Thanks for leaving a comment. I appreciate your input.