Healthy and Meaningful Church Membership

Last week’s study was Conversion and a Healthy Church. As we delve into Church Membership, we must acknowledge conversion is the essential first step in membership.  

Conversion renders the person a member of the universal Church. That is upon conversion, they are a member of the body of Christ. 1 Corinthians 12:12-13, 12 For just as the body is one and has many members, and all the members of the body, though many, are one body, so it is with Christ. 13 For in one Spirit we were all baptized into one body—Jews or Greeks, slaves[d] or free—and all were made to drink of one Spirit.

One of the fundamental Baptist distinctives is only the regenerate can be a member. Baptist historically have gone to lengths to ensure we have done what we can do to bring only the regenerate into membership of the local body or the visible Church. 

As we go through the study this week and we talk about the privileges, authority and responsibilities of a Church member, you will see why we hold Church Membership in such high regard. 

The term Church means the called-out ones. The term for God's "called-out ones" is ekklesia (or ecclesia), a Greek word translated as "church" in the New Testament. 

Ecclesiology is the theological study of the Christian Church, focusing on its origins, purpose, structure, doctrines, and role in gospel ministry. 

According to the Bible, church membership is a commitment every Christian should make to attend, love, serve, and submit to a local church. 

Biblical Support for Church Membership

There are some that argue local Church membership is a man-made concept. We will see the Bible is clear on instructions for assembling, conduct, and instructions on how the body of Christ should function, which can only be applied by a local body.

Jesus introduced the New Testament Church in his conversation with Peter. Matthew 16: 5-18- 15 He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?” 16 Simon Peter replied, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” 17 And Jesus answered him, “Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah! For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father who is in heaven. 18 And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. 

Peter’s confession (faith), which came from God, is the rock on which Christ built his Church. This shows us the Church as established by Jesus is a precious institution preserved for his people. 

Matthew 18:17–19, when Jesus is instructing on how to settle differences, he specifically mentions the role of the Church as a local body.

The first church began at Pentecost when people were baptized and “added that day” (Acts 2:41). After baptism, participation in the Lord’s Supper indicates who belongs to the body of Christ (1 Cor. 10:17).

Most of the epistles are then written to known quantities of people, such as “to the church of God that is in Corinth” and “to the churches of Galatia.” 

The New Testament explicitly refers to some people being “inside” the church and others being “outside” the church. It also speaks of “removing” people from the church and a punishment by the majority (1 Cor. 5:2, 12–13; 2 Cor. 2:6).

Christians in the Bible are presented as “members of one body” placed by God. (1 Cor 12:12-13)

Why is it important?

Biblical church membership is important because it is through the church that God testifies of himself and displays his glory to the world. God has ordained the church as the place where his people are fed the word, trained for service, supported, work to support others, exercise their gifts, further the gospel in kingdom work.  The church glorifies God through the preaching of his word, through prayer, the fellowship of the saints, singing to his glory, through the giving of offerings, promulgating the gospel. 

Church membership is an Office and a Job!

Christians have a long tradition of referring to elders and deacons as church “officers” This rightly recognizes the role and responsibilities that Scripture gives to our leaders. It also points to the honor due to pastors (1 Tim. 5:17). We surely honor our church officers. 

The term officer is to designate those given specific responsibilities with corresponding authority to carry out those responsibilities. Church members have specific responsibilities and authority to carry out those responsibilities. We should rightly see church membership as an office. 

Too many Christians today view their relationship with the local church as a consumer. As if church is a buffet line and they take what that want from the buffet and leave the rest.  That is not the biblical model of church membership. 

Church membership is job that requires you to show up and work. Hebrews 10:24-25.  And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, 25 not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.

You have authority to exercise, tasks to complete, privileges to enjoy, a “corporate” reputation to protect, risks to endure, and profits to share. If anything, we need to think less like consumers and more like owners. You’ve bought in and have a vested stake.

The Presbyterian Charles Hodge defined an office like this: Ministry is properly an office, because it is something which cannot be assumed at pleasure by any and everyone. A man must be appointed thereto by some competent authority. It involves not only the right, but the obligation to exercise certain functions, or to discharge certain duties; and it confers certain powers or prerogatives, which other men are bound to recognize and respect. 

So, it is with every church member. Not everyone can be a local church member. Only those converted, baptized, and accepted into membership by the congregation. No person possesses the authority to make him or herself a member – they must submit to the congregational process become a member. No member is without functions, duties, powers, or prerogatives, which others must recognize and respect.

Where did this office come from?

Although the local church congregation accepts and commissions new members, make no mistake, it is God that places them in the body. (1 Corinthians 12: 18 & 24)

The bible goes further in 1 Peter 2, we are referred to as chosen by God and a royal priesthood and people for God’s own possession. In 1 Corinthians 3 we are referred to as God’s temple and that his spirit dwells in us. 

Every member of the church has been given a job by God and the authority to do the task. If nothing else, to make disciples and be ambassadors of reconciliation, bringing the territory of hearts into subjugation to God (Matt. 28:18–20; 2 Cor. 5:18–20).

Irenaeus put it succinctly one hundred years after the New Testament was written: “For all the righteous possess the priestly order against heresies. Almost two millennia later Herman Bavinck, a Dutch theologian, said something similar: “And just as all believers have a gift, so also they all hold an office. Not only in the church as an organism but also in the church as institution, they have a calling and a task laid on them by the Lord”

Our work is to share and protect the gospel, and it’s to affirm and oversee church members. Church members share with elders the task to maintain doctrinal purity. 

Paul in Galatians 1: “6 I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting him who called you in the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel”. Paul rebukes not the pastors, but the members, and tells them to reject even apostles or angels who teach a false gospel. Their job (as is our job) to recognized error and protect the gospel.

Paul again rebukes the membership in 1 Corinthians 5: the Corinthians were accepting sin “not tolerated even among pagans” (v.1). “You are to remove the one who has done this thing,” he says to the whole church (1 Cor. 5:2).

He describes how this should happen—not behind the closed doors of an elders meeting, but when the whole church gathered and could act together: “ When you are assembled in the name of the Lord Jesus and my spirit is present, with the power of our Lord Jesus, 5 you are to deliver this man to Satan for the destruction of the flesh, so that his spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord” (vv. 4–5). 

The power of the Lord Jesus is actually there when they’re assembled in his name. With that power, they were supposed to have protected the gospel by removing the man from membership.

Every member of a church should recognize, “It’s my responsibility to protect the gospel, and it’s my responsibility to receive and dismiss members. 

The job here is bigger than showing up at members’ meetings and voting on new members. The church member’s job lasts all seven days. Ours is the work of representing Jesus and protecting his gospel in each other’s lives every day. 

So, we must study and work to know the gospel better and better. We must study the gospel’s implications and consider how they relate to repentance. 

Further, we must work to get to know and be known by our fellow members. We cannot affirm and give oversight to people we don’t know, not with integrity. 

What’s the Pastor’s job?

What then shall we say about the office of elder/pastor/shepherd? 

Ephesians 4:11-13,   And he gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds] and teachers, 12 to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, 13 until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood,[e] to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ.  

As a reminder, the terms we translate as shepherds, pastor, elder, overseer in different translations are interchangeable. One speaks more to title and other times speaks to function. In the Bible they are generally spoken about in plurals – the concept of a single pastor is not how the bible sees it in the Church. These men are designated with the primary responsibility of equipping the saints for ministry, doctrinal purity, maintaining unity, guarding the flock for wolves. 

Pastors are church members so share all the benefits and responsibilities of the members. They also have the additional primary responsibility to train up and support the members in their ministry endeavors. They teach the members to know the gospel, live the gospel, protect the church from false teaching, guard the reputation of the Church, and work to glorify God. 

The body suffers if pastors don’t do their job or if we don’t let them. It is the members that work to support the pastors to do their jobs and do so with joy. Hebrews 13:17  Obey your leaders and submit to them, for they are keeping watch over your souls, as those who will have to give an account. Let them do this with joy and not with groaning, for that would be of no advantage to you.

Meaningful Membership.

Meaningful membership goes beyond a name on the role. It is a membership of people dedicated to the work of the Lord through the local church. It is vital for the local church to operate effectively and co-labor with elder/pastors to serve the congregation. It helps other members serve within their gifts and functions to be a blessing to the church and be blessed in service. 

I know the title of the lesson is meaningful membership, but I think it is more helpful to think in terms of covenant membership. When we seek and are accepted into membership of the local body, we are covenanting with the other members. Each business meeting Pastor Bo reviews one of the covenants of our membership covenant. This is what we commit to in service to one another.

We are going to review 10 points of membership that come from the 9 Mark, Healthy Churches: a Beginners Guide. 

1. Membership identifies the sheep. This means the pastor/elders, deacons and other members know who the primary target of their overwatch, care and service are. This does not mean we don’t care about visitors or those who come into our presence. 

The church is composed of and for the benefit of God’s people. Membership is not about a name on a list but about knowing each other and how best to serve one another. It is about helping to ensure that God’s sheep receive the care they need. As people come into membership, we hear conversion stories, their background, what are their struggles. We hear their prayer request and know better how to serve them. 

1. Membership provides a prayer list. This allows the pastors and prayer warriors in the church to fulfill the responsibility to pray for one another. Pastors understand that one of their primary responsibilities is praying for their congregation. Of course, we pray more widely – visitors, the lost, other churches, etc. However, systematic and deliberate prayer for our members is essential. 
2. Membership focuses of discipleship efforts. While we can proclaim the Word of God to and pray broadly for all who attend our Sunday service, we can’t intentionally disciple everyone. Meaningful membership, however, focuses our discipleship efforts to those over whom God has placed in our care. Membership enables us to pour resources into equipping the saints who are truly covenanted with our local church.
3. Membership reveals those who may be in danger. If a visitor stops showing up, one may conclude they have found another church. However, if one of our members stops coming, we are obligated by our covenant relationship to check on them. We may find them in spiritual or physical difficulty that keeps them away. 
4. Membership reminds us that assurance is communal. The fact we have membership at all reinforces the biblical mandate the Christian life is not meant to live in isolation. We need each other to grow in grace and knowledge to draw strength from each other. To comfort and guide. None has the authority or ability to declare ourselves to be walking in a manner worthy of the calling (Eph 4:1) we need that validation from fellow Christians. Our security comes as we’re exhorted by brothers and sisters every day until glory (Heb. 3:13).
5. Membership shapes sermon application. This comes in knowing the membership and preaching the word in a way that is most applicable to the church. Pastors by knowing the flock and the needs can better shape application of the word. 
6. Membership supports service in the church. Church members bear the privilege and responsibility of serving in the church. Covenant membership encourages people to discover their gifts and serve in the church. It gives leaders a pool from which to recruit help, to develop service skills, and to bring in to blessed service. Shepherding takes place through small groups, children’s ministry, hospitality, discipleship, and fellowship. All which are enabled by covenant membership.
7. Membership shares in the work of shepherding. Our membership is composed of converts – each who has their own testimony. Knowing this, we can direct someone that needs the gospel, prayer, encouragement, to one of the members. It would be sad to miss the opportunity to minister to a visitor, because of people queuing to speak to the pastor after the sermon. If we are equipping the saints, we know we can find a member that can do the work of ministry. 
8. Membership aids financial stewardship. In accordance with our covenant, members bear responsibility and privilege of supporting our church financially. If we were not in covenant membership, where would we give to the Lord. There may be other worthy causes, but it is through our local church we should primarily give. 

Additionally, membership helps us know how to estimate budget needs and available resources. Faithful members who honor our covenant ensure we can meet financial obligations. We have seen churches in our area having to close their doors due to unmet financial obligations. 

1. Membership extends pastoral care to departing sheep. Intentional covenant membership at our church helps us walk with church members as they leave our church, whether that’s in the unfortunate case of church discipline, the bittersweet case of relocation, the exciting case of missions or church planting, or the Lord calling home one of his saints. 

First, we know they’re going out from us because we knew they were of us. You can’t shepherd someone into a new season if you never knew they considered themselves a part of your church. 

Second, we can shepherd someone by proclaiming the gospel and lovingly calling for repentance, as in cases of church discipline, or by praying for and helping the relocating member find another gospel-preaching church where they’re going, as in cases of relocation.

When a member relocates it is incumbent upon us to stay in contact and help shepherd them find a church of like faith and message. 

Finally, absent the 2nd coming, we will all face death. Covenant membership is about ministering to a saint until God calls them home.