Thanks so much to everyone who has asked questions about church membership! This is part 1 of a three-part series where I try and answer these as succinctly as possible (I did try).
Is church membership necessary?
On Sunday I explained that church membership is the day-to-day commitment to living as a covenant (or promise/pledge) community. Considering this, if we take this question and apply it to other covenant communities, such as marriage, I think it becomes very clear that it is a vitally important part of maintaining a healthy church life. Try and imagine a marriage where there were no promises and no security and no separateness from others? That would not be a healthy marriage! Why? Because healthy marriages are based upon the clearly articulated commitment and promises (for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, until death do us part) that are being outworked in the hundreds of everyday situations that make up daily married life.
If you are committed to God, aren’t you automatically committed to the church?
No! Just a simple reading of the New Testament letters shows that it is very possible to not be committed to a local expression of this universal church (and biblically, that’s not a good thing). For example, in Hebrews 10:25 the writer warns about the danger of neglecting to meet together. In fact, when you step back and look at the 34 or so ‘one-another’ passages (such as, love one another and pray for another and prefer one another) they show us that nothing is automatic when it comes to belonging to a church community. Again, like any covenant relationship, it takes ongoing commitment to be actively part of this community of people in this locality.
If you disagree with 1 or 2 of the core beliefs of membership, can you still be a member?
This is a great question, but also quite an involved one. For example, if the disagreement is that you have come to believe that Jesus is not God, then we have a major issue, because our whole faith rises and falls on that fact!
However, if, for example, after lots of careful examination of scripture and heart searching, you still can’t see the need for believer’s baptism, but rather believe that your infant ‘baptism’ was the appropriate act; in that case, as long as you are able to joyfully submit to being part of a church that will wholeheartedly preach and teach believer’s baptism, and that the church will continue to try and persuade you that you need to be baptised, and you are willing to encourage others to pursue believer’ s baptism – If you can do all that with a joyful and committed heart (and I’ve known people who have been able to do that!), then yes, you can most certainly be a member!
Who decides on the criteria for membership?
Clearly one of the roles of elders in a church (see Acts 20) is to guide and guard the flock in whom the Holy Spirit has made them overseers. As a result, part of the eldership role is to carefully examine scripture and to endeavour to shape membership as closely to biblical principles as possible. In addition, part of an elder’s role is to help individuals work out if this local church is the right place for them. For example, someone who is deeply uncomfortable with the gift of speaking in tongues (see 1 Cor 12 and 14), is going to struggle at Kingsgate! Part of the process of membership would be to help them really work out if this is going to be so uncomfortable for them that it may be better to worship in another local church community. These are important but delicate conversations.
Do we need to have a list?
Yes. Using the comparison to marriage again helps to clarify this issue. Do you really need a list ( a list of two, i.e. the husband and wife), why can’t you just leave things blurred, lose or open in the marriage? Covenant relationships are not only vertical relationships (me and God) but also horizontal relationships (me and those who are agreeing to live together in this church community). As a result, it is important to know who is part of this church community.
more questions and answers to follow tomorrow
