Yes. It is.
Since the value of church membership may need more than three words, the rest of this blog will speak to its importance. No doubt church membership has become less important to many people over time. I don’t see this as a positive trend. Our society as a whole is less trustful of institutions (sometimes with good reason) and less eager to make commitments. This presents two hurdles to valuing church membership, something that a generation or two ago was uncontroversial.
First, it will help us to understand what the church is, before we speak of membership to it. There are two common ways to speak of the church I’d like to mention: the universal church and the local church. The universal church is the big ‘C’ church that includes all believers across time and in every part of the world. Every true believer in Christ whose name is in the Lamb’s book of Life belongs to the universal church. The local church is the gathering place, the heavenly outposts where believers grow up in faith together. It’s where we regularly gather with fellow believers, receive teaching from the Scriptures, partake in the ordinances, worship, use spiritual gifts, engage in mission, and submit to church instruction and discipline.
The letters of the New Testament are ultimately to the universal church (all believers), but most were written to specific local churches in Philippi, Colossae, Galatia, Rome, Corinth, etc. The New Testament authors recognize the importance of local churches; so should we. In short, a local church is:
- A Believing people – Baptized, unified in belief in Christ, united in doctrine and practice
- An Organized people – identifiable, led by qualified men in officers of offices of elders and deacons
- A Gathered people – for worship, fellowship, ordinances, teaching, prayers, and ministry.
- A Sent People – A people on mission in the world to make and train disciples
So what is church membership?
Membership has a lot of connotations, some deeper than others. You can be a member of a country club, the local gym, Sam’s Club or the Subway sandwich club (buy 10 get 1 free!). Those all have pretty different expectations for ‘membership.’ Maybe our membership in other organizations and the low-level connection and expectations to those have affected our view of church membership. Some churches have abandoned church membership altogether, because it is assumed to create unhealthy division. I think this is an overcorrection, and isn’t ultimately a healthy expression of church life for either the congregants or the pastors.
Membership is a concept of belonging. Some form of formal membership commitment allows the congregant to say this is my church, and for the church to say, “This person is one of us.” For example, on a personal note, there are plenty of brothers and sisters in Christ in churches all across Southern York County and beyond. Yet not all of them belong to my church. By way of analogy, my daughter’s school has five or six second grade classes. There may be about 120 students in the second grade ‘Class’ altogether, but they meet in smaller ‘classes,’ each with their own space, decor, teacher, and way of doing things. They all belong to the same school, but even a kid knows if someone they play with at the playground is or is not in their class. It is important for teachers to know who is in their class too. This is of necessity to bring order and care, because a class of 120 second graders would be insane. It shows the Lord’s care for his universal Church that he puts us in local churches. Membership helps everyone know what church we belong to, and thus are responsible for and accountable to.
Membership creates clarity. Every now and then you’ll catch a TV sitcom that presents a familiar relationship trope. A guy likes a girl and thinks of her romantically, maybe even begins to assume they are boyfriend and girlfriend, but he soon finds that she only thinks of him as a friend. It usually is played for humor or drama. Another scenario is when two people are dating, one wants to keep things casual and the other wants to know if this is going anywhere and wants things to get serious. In both situations, there is typically a ‘define the relationship’ discussion.
Membership clarifies the relationship. It allows both leadership and members to be on the same page and not have to wonder. Pastorally it is hard to know how to shepherd people who are longstanding attenders, but aren’t really connected otherwise. It isn’t always clear if they have committed to our beliefs, values, mission, or agreed to receive our oversight. Consistent attendance or even involvement isn’t as clear an indicator as you would think. Our desire is to disciple everyone who comes to LHC. A formal membership clarifies expectations for everyone and allows us to move in the same direction.
Membership is a commitment. Membership is not just a formal agreement to exchange goods and services (“you give me the sermons and the worship, I give you the attendance, offerings, and help out”). It is a partnership in the gospel (Phil. 1:5). We are joining forces on a mission. If we are to be successful, we have to be committed to one another.
Become a Member of a Church
There may be no Bible verse that says you need to sign a piece of paper or attend a class or even use the word ‘member,’ but there are plenty of commands which expect believers to faithfully commit to a local, identifiable body of believers. Membership seems necessary to implement if church life is to be experienced as the New Testament describes it. Loose, undefined connection will not allow the church or its members to flourish. Every church does membership differently, but most understand that it is really difficult to make disciples and shepherd people well without some kind of commitment.
So if you are not a member of a local church, why not? You may have good reasons for your hesitation. Let me offer some encouragements to consider.
1. It helps the elders shepherd you well. Elders are responsible before God to teach, train, pray for, discipline, and be watchful over the souls of their flock. This is incredibly difficult for them if they can’t discern their own flock.
2. Solidifies your investment, accountability, and sense of belonging at a local church. Most people who attend but don’t settle are guarding themselves from something. Perhaps disappointment in a previous church, a desire to keep people at arm’s length, or the freedom to come or go to church as you please without anyone noticing. I find that people who are willing to give themselves in commitment to a local church find more peace and joy in their church life. Plant your roots and find somewhere to belong. It won’t be perfect and neither will you. As the old saying goes, “if you find a perfect church, leave it, because you will just mess it up!”
3. It sets a healthy example for others, especially your children. If you have children and you want them to value Christ and his church, you ought to become a member. If you have little commitment to church, your children will most likely have even less. What is lightly valued in one generation is totally disregarded in the next.
4. In an age that devalues commitments and institutions, it shows that Christians value and trust the local church. This one is for you rebels out there. If you hate traditions and like to skirt the rules, break the secular rules. Our current generation doesn’t want to commit (such as putting off getting married or having kids) and distrusts institutions. Be counter-cultural. Do something shocking in our age, and commit to an institution. Tell the world that there are some things that are still good and trustworthy and worth joining. If not a local church that belongs to Christ, then what else?
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