Is church membership a command? What happens if you don’t join a local church? What does the Bible say?
I conferred with my husband a bit on this one as we discussed the pros & cons of church membership and in this episode I share what we concluded.
For a more in-depth look into the topic, head to the podcast or video links above.
KEY POINTS
- Church membership is an issue of liberty, not right or wrong. The Bible doesn’t address it in the regards of how we have “memberships” in today’s local churches.
- I briefly discuss “Baptist Brider” theology and why they specify the “necessity” of being a member of a Baptist church to be in the Bride of Christ. I am not a Baptist Brider. I believe that everyone who is saved is in the Bride of Christ and also part of a universal church (but not in the Catholic description of the universal church.)
Pros of being a church member:
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- It helps with church administration as anyone who wants to be a teacher or vote on church issues. Anyone who is a “member” will have gone over the constitution and statement of faith and decided if they agree with it enough to join. If someone needs to be removed from a position in an area of ministry due to false doctrine, the pastor has a clearly written policy and agreement to refer to.
- It shows a commitment to your church family and opens doors for awareness, communication, helping out in time of need and hospitality.
- It provides a level of accountability within your church family if you or they are being overtaken in a fault.
- It keeps church splits at bay by only allowing those invested in the church to vote on church matters. Pros for being a church member:
Cons of being a church member. I honestly can’t think of any. If you don’t like or agree with a church, you don’t have to join. No biggie.
As always, thanks for being here and thanks for being my friend.
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