A Case for Local Church Membership

Church membership isn't as popular or meaningful as it once was. Many churches don't practice membership. Those that do practice it, don't convey much more than some general information about the church.

But, belonging to a local church should mean something. It should be significant and it should convey some sort of expectations to align with those of Scripture. In fact, I believe that membership is implied by Scripture and we certainly see commands and expectations for all believers and the way they interact with those in the church.

I know this won't go over easy for some of you. As a pastor, I have conversations with people and get a variety of responses. Sadly, many don't to become members because they've been hurt or disappointed by past church experiences. I get it. But, it's still worth committing to a group of believers. Just because you experience a bad dating relationship doesn't mean you give up on dating or never get married. The same for churches. I know church hurt can run deep, but when it works, it's beautiful. Here at One Hope Community Church in Fort Mill, we add a church covenant to our membership as a way of conveying our commitments to one another. This adds gravity and meaning to the membership. So, we hope you'll consider a church that takes it's membership seriously.

In the end, knowing the church members, makes us more committed to one another as we strive to be a healthy worshipping community that loves God and one another.

Just to make it easy, here are the reasons that I believe membership is important. I can explain more below.

Why church membership matters

In an individualistic age, many Christians ask: why should I join a church? While the Bible does not use the term “church membership” as we do today, it does tell us that we are members of one another (Romans 12:5) and that we all belong to a body. So, it's a Biblical concept.

As mentioned, our church defines our membership as a covenant. Just as the church is a covenant community, we find it helpful to have a covenant that outlines what it means to be a member at our church. Just like a marriage covenant, the members of our church form a community and pledge to care for one another in ways that Scripture outlines. When carried out well, it's a beautiful picture of the body of Christ.

Church membership is Biblical

The New Testament describes identifiable local congregations with recognized leaders and defined members. In the book of Acts, it says that 3,000 were added to their number. There is some sense of adding to some existing group or body. There is also the care for widows who belonged to the church, but it implies belonging to something.

Peter tells elders to shepherd the flock of God. You cannot shepherd a flock, unless you know and can identify that flock. There has to be some sort of grouping that identifies who is committed and submitted to the church elders. Yes, there is a form of godly submission in the church. Hebrews 13:17 reminds believers to submit to their leaders. Yes, it has been done poorly. But, when we submit to one another in love and within reason in a manner that honors God, the Lord is honored in it. We need godly leaders in the church and we need biblical submission. By the way, you cannot know who your leaders are, unless you have entered into some form of commitment to a local church and it's leaders.

Without membership, it's difficult for elders to know who belongs and who to shepherd. Also, if someone hasn't committed to a local congregation, the sense of belonging and commitment is undefined. Yet, there are a number of passages that charge members of a local church to "bear one another's burdens," "admonish one another," "encourage one another," and to "love one another." These and many other commands cannot be carried out unless someone has committed to a local church.

These passages only make sense if Christians are meaningfully committed to particular congregations. Church membership simply formalizes what Scripture already assumes: believers belong to local churches.

You can't validate your own faith

It is common for someone to say, “I’m a Christian,” but their life may not reflect the fruit of a Christ follower. In some ways, their faith is self-authenticated. In other words, many people say they are a Christian but the other data about their lives doesn't reflect this. As a result, they may live deceived and unaware of their false faith.

This isn't judgmental. I've had a number of coffees with new visitors and a number of other people and have observed many who don't understand the Gospel and what it means to be a Christian. I have found a number of cases where people aren't Christians but they believe otherwise because their grandmother loved Jesus, or because they got baptized as an infant, or a number of other reasons that are not Gospel related.

This is one reason a local church can help people. It's a place where faith can either be validated or graciously prodded. It's an act of love to tell someone they don't understand the Gospel and then have the privilege of presenting this good and beautiful message to them. Christianity was never meant to be self-declared and self-validated. In fact, the new testament doesn't seem to have an understanding of solo-Christianity that is isolated from a local church.

What church membership provides is a visible, communal witness outside of yourself. At One Hope, each person who wants to join the church shares their testimony of how they came to faith in Jesus. We also ask them to explain the Gospel of Jesus. These serve as a way for elders to ensure members at least properly understand what it means to follow Jesus and have made that commitment.

Furthermore, being in community with other followers of Jesus surrounds each member with a group of people who validate the faith of one another. If a person started to live in a manner that didn't reflect the character of the faith. If they rejected essential elements of the faith and yet continued to qualify themselves as a Christian, a healthy local body of believers would point out the error and help people know their beliefs lie outside the bounds of historic Christianity.

This external witness guards against deception. Without church membership, the only verification of your Christianity is your own opinion.

It defines biblical commands for believers

The Bible has a number of commands that Believers are supposed to live out. Without belonging and regularly being in community with a local group of Believers, it is very difficult to carry those commandments out. Likewise, it would be very difficult for other Believers to fulfill and carry out those commands toward you. At One Hope, our church covenant codifies so many of these commands. Similar to marriage or to any office where you take an oath, we added in verbiage that adds emphasis and meaning to our membership. This reminds us of some of the church of scripture.

The New Testament is filled with “one another” commands for how members act toward other believers. We are called to love one another, bear one another's burdens, admonish one another, sing spiritual songs to one another, forgive one another, and to confess our sins one to another.

These commands assume proximity, commitment, and accountability within a community of people. These relationships take time to form. It requires you to grow close enough to other people to hear and learn about their needs and how you can best care for them.

You cannot meaningfully bear burdens if you are not meaningfully connected. You can't admonish or be admonished if you remain uncommitted. You cannot practice forgiveness or patience in isolation. Occasional attendance does not fulfill these commands. Church membership creates the opportunity to fulfill these commands. The Christian life is not merely about private devotion; it is about covenantal participation in a local body.

Church membership promotes spiritual growth

God designed the church as a body, where every member contributes to the health of the whole. Through church membership, you benefit from the ordinary means of grace. I know this is a theological jargony term. What it means is that there is spiritual benefit from all sorts of happenings in a local church. There is spiritual blessing and benefit in the preaching of God's word, participation in the Lord's supper, and in congregational singing.

There is also good when you witness the zeal and testimony of other believers who are in fellowship with you. There is strengthening when you are able to use your gift to benefit the body and when you also receive the same from other believers.

Spiritual maturity is not formed in isolation. It grows through teaching, correction, service, and shared life.

It displays the Gospel

In a society of shallow relationships and casual commitment, covenantal church membership is countercultural. It displays a group of people who lovingly commit to one another and then live by those commitments.

When believers formally bind themselves to one another in love, patience, forgiveness, and shared mission, they display the power of the gospel. They display their heavenly citizenship and the world will recognize them by their love for one another.

Summary

Church membership does not save you. Christ alone saves. However, Scripture presents the Christian life as lived within the committed fellowship of a local church.

To follow Christ is to follow Him into His body. If you are attending a church but have never formally joined, prayerfully consider pursuing membership. Not because it is trendy. Not because it is institutional. But because of all the reasons listed above.