Church Membership Policy Proposal

Introduction

While we are a Presbyterian church in a Presbyterian denomination, we can learn much from our Baptist brothers in Christ. One of the valuable teachings we would be wise to adopt is meaningful membership—“membership is not simply the record of a statement we once made or an affection toward a familiar place. It must be the reflection of a living commitment, or it is worthless.”¹ Membership commands our utmost commitment. We are called to strengthen the local church, shepherd the flock, and glorify God by faithfully stewarding membership through its initial commitment and, when necessary, its removal.

Because we hold to Presbyterian convictions, which emphasize covenant theology, we do not dismiss the membership of our infant members, which is grounded in the faith of their believing parents. This proposal focuses on the qualifications and commitments of adult membership.

Qualifications for Membership

First and foremost, one must be a believer and follower of Christ to become a member. This means that members must “confess with [their] mouth[s] that Jesus is Lord and believe in [their] heart[s] that God raised him from the dead” (Rom. 10:9-10).² Furthermore, this faith is not only proclaimed but demonstrated in repentance. Corresponding to this, our adult members must be baptized according to the Trinitarian formula, for Paul assumes that the Christians to whom he is writing have all been baptized” (Matt. 28:18-20; Rom. 6).³ Maintaining membership status in our congregation entails a visible commitment to our Savior, Jesus Christ, and His people, the church. Members in good standing: “1. Attend services regularly,” “2. Attend communion particularly,” “3. Attend members’ meetings consistently,” “4. Pray regularly, and “5. Give regularly.”⁴ Moreover, members are expected to be disciples who demonstrate self-sacrifice—dying to selves and loving one another (Luke 9:23; Gal. 2:20; Eph. 4:32).⁵

Discipline and Removal from Membership

Because the local church is a covenant community of believers and individual members of Christ’s Body, members in our church are obligated to each other, including “a responsibility to speak honestly to each other of faults, shortcomings, departures from Scripture, or specific sins… Without hesitation, we should all admit our need for discipline [and] shaping. None of us are perfect, finished projects.”⁶ Thus, church discipline is necessary for any congregation, for it is the means of loving accountability, grounded in the Word of God (Heb. 12:1-14; Matt. 18:15-17; 1 Cor. 5:1-11; Gal. 6:1; 2 Thes. 3:6-15; 1 Tim. 1:20; 5:19-20; Tit. 3:9-11).⁷ Occasionally, a believer’s practice contradicts their confession of faith, and if such instances are innumerable and unrepentant, they are to be removed from membership.⁸ The verses provided above speak to this aspect of discipline as well. Of course, as with any disciplinary action, this removal hopes to lead the offender to genuine repentance and restored fellowship with the covenant community.

Conclusion

In summary, membership is a sacred responsibility for the whole church and individual believers, characterized by far more than casual attendance and association. By briefly clarifying the qualifications and commitments of meaningful membership, this church seeks to uphold the good of the congregation, individual souls, and God’s holiness. In doing so, we hope to reflect the glory of Christ to the people gathered in our church, both members and nonmembers, and beyond the confines of this building.

Bibliography

Allen, Jason K., ed. The SBC and the 21st Century: Reflection, Renewal, and Recommitment. Revised ed. Nashville: B&H Academic, 2019.

Dever, Mark. Nine Marks of a Healthy Church. 4th ed. Wheaton, IL: Crossway, 2021.

Hammett, John S. Biblical Foundations for Baptist Churches: A Contemporary Ecclesiology. 2nd ed. Grand Rapids: Kregel Academic, 2019.

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Footnotes

1. Mark Dever, Nine Marks of a Healthy Church, 4th ed. (Wheaton, IL: Crossway, 2021), 141-142. ↩

2. Unless otherwise specified, all Scripture references are to the English Standard Version (Wheaton, IL: Crossway, 2016). ↩

3. Dever, 137-138. ↩

4. Dever, 139-140. ↩

5. John Mark Yeats, “More than Fifteen Million Southern Baptists? Recovering Regenerate Church Membership,” in The SBC and the 21st Century: Reflection, Renewal, and Recommitment, revised ed., edited by Jason K. Allen (Nashville: B&H Academic, 2019), 100. ↩

6. Dever, 148. ↩

7. Ibid., 152-157. ↩

8. John S. Hammett, Biblical Foundations for Baptist Churches: A Contemporary Ecclesiology, 2nd ed. (Grand Rapids: Kregel Academic, 2019), 114-115. ↩