Does Church Membership Matter?
Pastor's Mailbag • Sermon • Submitted • Presented
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Today is our last in this series called Pastor’s Mailbag.
It’s been a unique series in that, I have not gone through a book of the Bible, chapter by chapter, verse by verse.
but had tried to answer questions that you have had recently or over the years.
We have addressed Artificial Intelligence, Money, Giving/Tithing, Sexuality, Church Hurt,
and now today’s topic may be surprising, and it’s this:
btw—church hurt resource - on screen
“Rick, does church membership matter?”
it’s a great question—because we are part of a denomination called the Missionary Church and we do have and encourage people to become members, so you may ask...
“Do I have to be a member in a church or become a member here—is it worth it, necessary, is it even Biblical?”
or are we just wasting our time?” and to add to that, “Rick, some churches don’t have a formal membership, so why bother?”
and to add to that, if you really are thinking, does church membership simply mean I can vote or serve on the Church Board? is that it?
Some may have baggage with it—from a previous church that felt heavy handed in their application of membership or even legalistic about it or a church discipline scenario, so church membership can bring up rough feelings.
some, based on the sermon last week with church hurt, may not want to join a church or become a member at a local church of hurtful experiences within church.
some may feel it’s just a man-made tradition...perhaps used to control and oppress people.
It is a question I get every year, sometimes several times a year, and it’s a great question.
does church membership matter?
so before I preach on church membership—what do you think it is? and is it worth it? (share with a partner)
and even I, yes, I confess, there was a time in my life I thought church membership was dumb, unnecessary, distracting. “There are people going to hell, why focus on church membership.”
and yet over the years of ministry, I have come to see church membership as a really good, really healthy thing. both in my last church and now this church.
I am going to try and make the case in 2 ways:
Church Membership is Less important than you think, and also more important than you think. It’s both (how? I will hopefully show you at the end)
and I am going to try to make the case that you should consider joining the membership of a local church—that can be an extremely healthy thing for you and the whole church if done well.
What is church membership?
church membership (usually) is the formal and public process of (officially) joining or committing to a local church—
both the organism (the people) and the organization (the institution)
it’s formal in that there is a process a church may have if they have membership, (a class, an interview, an application)
and it’s often public, in that people can find out if someone is officially a member or not. (public record in the church or may be announced)
but it’s more than that—church membership is at least about 5 components.
a spiritual component - meaning that if you join a local church, we want to make sure you are a Christian, you understand the Gospel of Jesus Christ, and you are committing to follow Him as your Savior and Lord. that’s primary! going through this process doesn’t save you—Jesus does, and we want to make that clear. but to be part of the church membership—Jesus must be Savior and Lord.
agreement component and (alignment) with theology, doctrine, and practice. (doesn’t mean you have to agree with everything in the Missionary Church, but the essentials yes)
a one another-ing component - or even covenant - where we are committing or covenanting together to live out the one another’s of Scripture. love one another, serve one another, bear with one another, pray for one another, forgive one another, care for one another, speaking the truth to one another—holding each other accountable
a commitment component (to God and others) but to this local church specifically. I will actively participate with the 3 T’s—time, talent, and treasure. i will commit to God, each other, to the leadership. (doesn’t mean you can’t disagree—but assuming the best and confronting when necessary). I will do my best to stay informed, to vote on the budget every year and church officers. to show up and pour into people relationally...
a shared mission component - the Great Commission to go forth and make disciples, locally, regionally, and globally. we will pool our resources together here and in our region, the Central Region, and denomination to do this well.
church membership is often a formal and public process of all this.
and then notice this—
I am committing first of all to the people (organism) gathered here under Jesus Christ—that’s the organism—the people, most importantly. that’s what the church is—the people who are under the Savior and Lordship of Jesus Christ gathered together to become more like Jesus together and share Jesus and the Gospel together
but also there is an organization component or institution. that may not sound fun; it may not sound spiritual, but organization is important. we see these institutional aspects in our city—to the organization of local government, schools, churches, business—the institution matters, it helps things last.
sometimes people are turned off towards the institution of the local church, and I agree, it can be that way, and I am part of the institution. I find frustration with it, too, but if you were to join a local house church—and say “we are not going to have any leaders. we will all just do life together, worship together, grow together, be on mission together. it will be great!” those kinds of things usually do start great but eventually, you have to figure out—who is in charge? who is leading? who makes final decisions? how do we collect money? who is keeping track of it and we can trust that person, and what should we spend our money on? who is planning what we are learning? who is watching the kids? eventually, you have to get more organized.
Objections/FAQ’s against it?
is church membership Biblical? perhaps the biggest question I hear.
I will admit—like Pastor Sam Emadi says, “If you’re looking for the words “thou shalt be a member” in Scripture, you won’t find them. but if that troubles you, don’t worry. there are other things in Scripture that are not specifically stated yet the concept is there.
Think of for example, the word Trinity. we don’t see that word in Scripture, but we do see the concept of God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit.
can the same be true of membership? is the concept there, is it more implied than explicitly stated...
Pastor Matt Chandler (and I have the article here) wrote an article several years ago entitled Is Church Membership Biblical.
and he looks at Hebrews 13:17
17 Have confidence in your leaders and submit to their authority, because they keep watch over you as those who must give an account. Do this so that their work will be a joy, not a burden, for that would be of no benefit to you.
and he brings up 2 questions: if there is not a biblical requirement to belong to a local church, then which leaders should an individual Christian have confidence in and obey? is it every Christian leader everywhere? do you or I have to follow a Christian leader who has their own YouTube channel? good question
I know a lot of us probably bristle at that word “submit” I know I do as an American, individualistic, consumer.
but as a pastor, I actually am terrified of the idea in that verse that I am keeping watch over people and will give an account to God someday.
which brings up the 2nd question? who am I going to have to give an account for someday as a pastor? every Christian ever? Christians on the internet I encounter or in another city? no—but those in my flock, local church.
Matt Chandler argues meaningful church membership helps clarifies both.
it clarifies which leaders to follow, and it clarifies for leaders who to take care of in the church.
another passage that he points to and I have heard others point to is 1 Corinthians 5 (you can turn there).
in 1 Corinthians 5, the Apostle Paul is confronting the church because a man in the church at Corinth is sleeping with his step mom or mother in law (we are not sure). let me read
1 It is actually reported that there is sexual immorality among you, and of a kind that even pagans do not tolerate: A man is sleeping with his father’s wife.
2 And you are proud! Shouldn’t you rather have gone into mourning and have put out of your fellowship the man who has been doing this?
see what he is saying—this person is claiming to be a Christian yet living like this, and you are proud of this. how can this be?
what’s interesting is that Paul doesn’t just hold the person who committed the sin responsible or the leadership, but the entire church congregation.
and so he encourages them to do something called church discipline—confront, for the goal of repentance of course—but this involves putting the man out of their fellowship—in verse 5—if you skip down
5 hand this man over to Satan for the destruction of the flesh, so that his spirit may be saved on the day of the Lord.
the goal is salvation. but drastic measures need to happen.
and then he says this:
11 But now I am writing to you that you must not associate with anyone who claims to be a brother or sister but is sexually immoral or greedy, an idolater or slanderer, a drunkard or swindler. Do not even eat with such people.
12 What business is it of mine to judge those outside the church? Are you not to judge those inside?
Matt Chandler says it like this: How can you kick someone out if there isn’t an in. if there is no local commitment to a covenant community of faith, then how do you remove someone from that community of faith.
church membership helps clarify all this. now these are rare situations—but they do happen—because we are people. and I and elders dread these kinds of situations and they happen with tears, but they can happen that someone may need this for their repentance and change and can be brought back into the church.
(one other passage you may want to check out is 1 Timothy 5—where Paul tells Timothy how to take care of widows, and they can’t take care of every widow but those who are part of their church and there’s certain criteria)
if you are still not convinced, I remember Sam Emedi talking about it—and says he believes church membership is in fact in every nook and cranny of the New Testament.
how? look at all the images Scriptures uses to describe us:
If the Bible simply said, “join a church,” we could treat membership like checking a box on a to do list. But by portraying the church and its members as a body (each of us is a part), a temple (each of us a living stone), a flock (sheep), and a family (brothers and sisters), the Bible forces us not only to join a church but to consider how well our lives fit with that biblical imagery. The metaphors force us to ask, “Does my church membership look like that?” These metaphors provoke our imaginations, “How might I be more like what the Bible describes? Am I really a family member in my church or more like a consumer (where if my needs are not met, I leave my family)? Am I really a hand or a foot in the body, or more like some dispensable house shoes?”
he goes on to say: instead of simply commanding Christians to join a church, the Bible portrays the Christian life in such a way that it can never be separated from the church. The biblical metaphors for the church show that membership means having a vital connection to a local congregation. This connection shapes our everyday life.”
these images of a temple, body, flock, family—show that we are a part connected to a much larger whole—vitally connected. it means I won’t just approach church as an individual consumer. but think about the greater good—not just what I can get, but what I can give.
these images provoke us to see how can I fully integrate within the life of the church.
this is why I say membership in a church is not like Costco. where I can go an get a jar of pickles that lasts me 2 years. and I get something for my membership.
membership is more what can I give rather than what I can get. If I become a member, how can I get engaged and interact with the body and the family of Christ? How can I serve? How can I park farther away on a Sunday morning so that a new person or visitor or young mom can park closely.
(if you are still not convinced about the Biblical case, I have an article, you are welcome to grab here)
2. takes me to my 2nd objection - Is it necessary?
in other words, can’t I do these things without officially going through a formal process of church membership?
and you are right—yes you can. in fact, I would argue that you could go through an official membership process, join the church, and not really do anything (and that’s not what we want). “just check it off..”
but I would also push back and say if you are already doing those components—and you know that Jesus has brought you into a relationship withers as a body, a family, a temple, a flock—then why not make it official?
could it be similar to a couple saying—we will date, and be committed to each other, and be married in God’s eyes and our eyes—but not legally get married? because a couple who won’t officially get married—aren’t you still holding back something? b/c it’s easier to get out of that relationship than if you were married.
could that image be similar to a church? we date the church but don’t commit—it’s easier to get out of if you are not a member. why not make it formal and official?
3. is it worth it? is church membership worth it...because sometimes people can view membership as:
—all I do is vote on things—like the annual budget (that the Church Board presents),
—or officers—and we don’t even put out 2 names per position anymore—we have a vote of affirmation yes or no
—or a couple more things you vote on as a member
—me—when I came the senior pastor must be voted on by the members
—or if we buy property
and church membership allows you to serve on the church board.
so is it worth it? btw — I think those things I mentioned are more important than I just expressed.
I used to have a pretty cynical view of membership, a doubtful view of membership.
I thought it was unnecessary and dumb quite frankly.
and why would I want to vote or serve on a church board—because if you have ever served on a church board, it is extremely challenging.
Why Consider CM: (why become a member of a local church)
because Jesus has such a high view of the church. already mentioned...but look at what Jesus has done for His church:
25 Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her
26 to make her holy, cleansing her by the washing with water through the word,
27 and to present her to himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless.
because God’s Word, Jesus is so invested in the church, it makes sense. (why would Jesus do that—He loved the church and wants to us changed to be more like Jesus)
and the church is first and foremost Jesus’ people—who have been forgiven and made alive in Jesus’ name, and are commited to coming under Jesus’ kingship and Word to help each grow to become more like Jesus.
2. it’s an opportunity to learn and grow. In the membership process, you will be stretched and challenged. you will learn about a variety of things:
—what we believe—the essentials. do you agree or not? can you articulate the gospel or not?
—what our denomination believes about all sorts of things—-spiritual gifts, speaking in tongues. can I lose my salvation or not? spiritual warfare, sexuality and gender. how much free will do I have or is God in control or both? do i agree or not? and why?
—what our church bylaws are - how we operate— that may not sound exciting but it is such a helpful document that shows clearly how decisions are made, how our church is structured organizationally. for instance, did you know that it’s the members. every church is structured and make decisions somehow—this document helps reveal that.
—you will learn how our church fits within the last 2000 years of church history—we are part of history—and simply one expression of Jesus’ Church thru the centuries
—a chance to ask questions and grow
—I think people who grow through the process learn so much, and it is a chance to go deeper in their own faith, beliefs, what I believe and why—it’s wonderful!
3. it’s an opportunity to be invested in the local church, (involved, and committed)
I mentioned earlier you do get to vote on things...
the annual budget—how we spend our money in the general budget and the missions budget—are we using our money wisely for the kingdom of God or not?
officers on the Church Board—do you agree with the candidates from our membership who are put forth to lead
as we buy new property or buildings—do you agree to support it?
voting on a new senior pastor
voting on changes to our bylaws
and I hope and pray that those of you that do vote are informed about what you are voting on.
I think if you are a member, it’s a great opportunity to be more involved, invested, and to really know what is going on.
btw— really what membership does is it forces leadership and congregation to work together. for the leadership not to hide anything. in fact, membership, in terms of authority, has quite a bit of power. instead of being top down—membership spreads out the power. it is more bottoms up. 10% of the voting members can call a special meeting to address an important issue.
but it’s more than that—an opportunity to be invested in people—to disciple others and be discipled by others. to help others and to be helped by others (which is the hardest thing for most of us). am I keeping an eye out for people who need help in our congregation? am I making sure we teach sound doctrine in accordance with the truth of God’s Word?
encouragement and challenge as well!
4. it’s an opportunity to....partner together for shared mission.
some churches use the term partnership...instead of membership.
we can partner together for the sake of mission.
as you meet with elders through the membership process, we get to know your gifts better; your heart—how God has wired you in the kingdom of God and how we can use all of our gifts for the sake of making disciples of Jesus to the ends of the earth.
The Membership Process at FMC
pray about it—the whole time.
take the membership class or classes. Next offered in November as part of our Wednesday night Ripples. must attend both. if you have a lot of objections or doubts, bring those to the class and bring them up, and I will do must best to answer but try to come with an open mind. we go over our theology and what we believe; we go over our history; and where our church falls in the last 2000 years of church history. we go over our local history. we go over our values. we try to make a biblical case for membership. and you can decide. i won’t be heavy handed or pushy—I promise. :)
do the homework, and you can accomplish this in 1 of 2 ways—either on your own at your pace, or we have a follow up membership class.
during the follow up and homework—we:
go over the bylaws of our church
go over what our denomination believes about key things like speaking in tongues and spiritual gifts, spiritual warfare, gender and sexuality, and more
have you fill out an application.
go over a church covenant
so you can do all that on your own
and then you submit the application. the application has you share your testimony and story of coming to Christ. There is also a covenant we have you sign—you are committing to this expression of church here at this local church.
schedule an elder interview. where we get a chance to hear your story, make sure you understand what our church is about and the Gospel, hear your heart and passion for ministries. we interview married couples together—and
if the word interview freaks you out—it’s more of a 2 way conversation and dialogue.
6. Wait to hear back from the elders. and then after the interview, the elders bring your name for approval at the Church Board. and if we would vote “no” which is extremely rare, it’s not no forever, just for now.
so i mentioned earlier—membership is less important than you think and more important than you think...how is it both?
it’s less important because for some generations, membership could be sometimes a badge of honor or identity. read obituaries of folks and they are a member of so and so church. “I am a member of this church or that.”
and at its worst it could be an exclusive almost country club like feel or like a really heavy handed legalistic sort of thing—that I have to do to somehow earn my salvation or I feel pressure to do.
so if you fall into any of those categories—it needs de-emphasized.
however, I think for many of us, it probably needs to be more emphasized.
in our day of individualism, consumerism, church membership is a good challenge.
I mentioned earlier that I used to think church membership was unnecessary, why bother, it’s dumb...but over the last 20 years in a couple different churches, I have seen its importance. as long as we are not putting pressure on you or making it legalistic, I think it’s really healthy.
because I ultimately church membership relates to how you and I view the church. the doctrine of the church.
what the Bible says about the church.
I get it that the church gets a bad reputation and rightfully so—but the NT—it’s just mindblowing what it says about the church.
I mentioned these a couple weeks ago...but I want to end with these—look at what the NT says about the church:
18 And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it.
10 His intent was that now, through the church, the manifold wisdom of God should be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly realms,
Jesus is so committed to the church—that He died for it—and is now the head of it.
22 And God placed all things under his feet and appointed him to be head over everything for the church,
23 which is his body, the fullness of him who fills everything in every way.
we the church, are Jesus’ body—God’s plan A to keep the forces of Hades or hell away; to show the manifold wisdom of God, to accomplish what Jesus wants for His glory.
I think it’s worth committing to that—even formally through something like church membership.
what do you think?
