Membership in the Local Church
The New Testament church didn’t know anything of official church membership because all those who gathered together were Christians. Persecution among the earliest followers of Jesus meant that the church gathered at great personal risk to each of its members. So, there was no need to distinguish between those who were truly part of the Body of Christ and those who weren’t. Today, however, we must realize that the church is a mixed group of people and membership is the means by which church leaders may discern which attendees have the capacity for spiritual maturity and may be held accountable for their new life in Jesus Christ.
Because there is no biblical model of church membership, each church may design a process that fits its goals. At Central Bible Church, we have three elements in our membership process: a membership class, a membership interview and a membership covenant.
A membership class is offered to membership candidates to teach them the core doctrine of the church, share the true Gospel of Jesus and highlight membership expectations. It is not uncommon for attendees who think they are Christians to learn that they have not believed the truth and come to a knowledge of the truth through this class. Member expectations (discussed below) and a description of the spiritual pathway enable candidates to understand what they are committing to.
Following the membership class, each candidate is subject to a membership interview. Conducted by pastors, elders, deacons or other official church leadership, this brief interview affords candidates an opportunity to share their personal testimony. In this way, church leadership attempt to verify the genuineness of each member’s faith.
Additionally, leadership may use the interview to match each candidate’s spiritual gift(s) with ministry opportunities in the church. And, this is a great occasion for the new member to be introduced to biblical community so they may connect with others.
This doesn’t conclude a person’s membership in the church; it initiates the new member into a new level of “belonging” in the local church. We present each candidate with a membership covenant which encourages the new member to fulfill their responsibility to Christ’s church. This responsibility includes unity, community, ministry, generosity, authority and accountability. Each of these shall be discussed in turn.
UNITY
The psalmist declares the joy of unity among God’s people, “How good and pleasant it is when God’s people live together in unity” (Psalm 133:1). Jesus prayed that His disciples would be “brought to complete unity” (John 17:23). And Paul urged Christians to “Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace” (Ephesians 4:3).
Unity is important among God’s people because unity is a virtue shared by the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit who exist in perfect harmony (Deuteronomy 6:4; John 17:11). When Christians live in unity, they reflect the unity of the godhead. For this reason, Paul describes the church as one “body” which contains many and various “parts” (1 Corinthians 12). Each of the parts, or members, is essential for the operation of the whole body, the church. No part is greater than the others. No part is dispensable. In his book Simply Christian: Why Christianity Makes Sense, theologian N.T. Wright describes church unity like a river:
[T]hough the church consists by definition of people from the “widest possible variety of backgrounds, part of the point of it all is that they belong to one another, and are meant to be part of the same powerful flow, going now in the same single direction. Diversity gives way to unity.” (p. 200)
The expression of this important unity isn’t found simply in gathering together at the same place at the same time each week. Just because Christians are members of the same church doesn’t necessarily mean that they are living together in unity. There are several telling indicators of true unity.
Those who love unity affirm diversity. They embrace the differences between people and appreciate social, educational, economic, ethnic and racial differences. Churches and members committed to unity don’t discriminate. While each owns their own preferences, they can affirm a variety of styles, methods or opinions. This means that leaders and members are gracious in tolerating different theological positions on matters that are considered “non-essential” to life and faith. Because Jesus’ church is made up of people from every nation, tribe and tongue (Revelation 7:9), those in the church should expect the church to be filled with many cultural, national and personal expressions. Therefore, its members affirm diversity.
Those who love unity accept change. Every healthy, living organism changes over time. Yet some people in the church have great difficulty with change—changing worship styles, changing leadership, changing schedules, changing traditions, changing ministry direction. Intolerance to change often leads to conflict which, in turn, divides the church. Members who endure change set aside their preferences for the sake of the greater good.
They look out not only for their own interests, but also for the interests of others (Philippians 2:4). They don’t grumble or gossip, but accept change for the sake of unity.
Those who love unity address conflict. The unwillingness to be reconciled with others leads to the fracturing of families, marriages, communities and the church. Too often, rather than confront, apologize, forgive and restore, Christians—who have been reconciled to God—refuse to be reconciled to one another. This “root of bitterness” begins to grow and causes trouble among individuals and the greater church (Hebrews 12:15).
Children of God should resolve conflict in the family of God. This means that members resist judging one another (Matthew 7:1), forgive “as they have been forgiven” (Ephesians 4:32), confess their sins to one another (James 5:16) and be agents of reconciliation in their church (2 Corinthians 5:18). As we shall see later, this doesn’t mean that Christians should excuse sin against one another, but they should always look for a way of restoration. Only when conflict is identified and reconciled is unity preserved.
Those who love unity advance together. They embrace a common vision and head in the same direction as one. Amos 3:3 asks, “Do two walk together unless they have agreed to do so?” The answer is, “Of course not!” No two people walk together, in a common direction, unless they have mutual agreement. When people become church members, they are agreeing to walk in the direction the church and its leadership are going. There is no place for renegade members—attendees pushing their own agendas, promoting initiatives not in line with their church. A church cannot afford for its members to embrace two-thirds of its mission. Membership means all the people, going all the way to accomplish all the mission that God has given them.
Many years ago, a longtime attendee of our church stopped into my office to mention a concern. He didn’t much appreciate the style of music that we presented in our worship services and preferred that we sing more classic hymns. I appreciated his willingness to talk with me personally and explained the strategic reason why we offered the style of worship we did. His humble response was remarkable, “Pastor, I wish I could have my way. But either way, I will be here every Sunday because this is my church!” I was so grateful that he valued us moving our mission together rather than him getting his way. That’s unity!
COMMUNITY
As Paul describes the church in 1 Corinthians 12, he commands, “there should be no division in the body, but its parts should have equal concern for each other. If one part suffers, every part suffers with it; if one part is honored, every part rejoices with it” (vv. 25-26). The phrase “equal concern” means “anxiety of care for others.” This is a good test of authentic church membership: A person genuinely cares for others.
In my 25 years of being a pastor, I’ve heard a handful of people say, “I don’t really need church.” While everyone needs connection with others, the statement proves a misunderstanding of being part of the church. Church is not a consumer experience where we only think about what we get out of it. Church is a community of people who give themselves to one another. Church members are committed to community—supporting, loving, protecting, challenging, encouraging, confronting and serving one another. Church members connect in community.
MINISTRY
Church members not only give themselves to one another in community, they also give themselves to their church in ministry. Each Christian is given a “manifestation of the Spirit…for the common good” (1 Corinthians 12:7). This means God has gifted each believer to bless others.
For this reason, the term “membership” can be misleading. A person can be a member of a club, organization or association and never participate in anything. I have a friend who is a member of a health club but never goes. A person can hold a membership to a museum and never contribute anything. They might visit occasionally to look at the artwork, but aren’t likely to help with the landscaping or sweep the floors. Membership may be a very passive experience.
When we speak of membership in the local church, we really mean partnership, which implies cooperation, mutual effort and working together toward a common goal. Business partners share all of the sacrifice and enjoy all the benefits. Partners in rock climbing take responsibility for the safety and success of each other.
The Apostle Paul thanked the Philippian Christians for their partnership: “I thank my God every time I remember you. In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now” (Philippians 1:3-5). While Paul served the church, those in the church reciprocated in their ministry to Paul. The word “partnership” means “to share.” It’s the same word Paul uses in 2 Corinthians 8:3-4, “For I testify that they gave as much as they were able, and even beyond their ability. Entirely on their own, they urgently pleaded with us for the privilege of sharing in this service to the Lord’s people.”
The Corinthian Christians eagerly desired to share themselves— to partner with Paul in his service to others. We will talk more about the believer’s ministry in later chapters.