Acts 6:1-6<\/strong> The church\u2019s need for organization and \u201ctables\u201d is evident in its distribution of food to needy Christians. \u201cTables\u201d may indicate the presence of a type of membership roll.<\/p>\n Matthew 18:15\u201317<\/strong> In this passage regarding the process of confrontation and discipline, it is assumed that there is some level of accountability. \u201cThe church\u201d has oversight and arbitration in the issue of a sinning brother.<\/p>\n 1 Timothy 5:9-13<\/strong> Paul counsels Timothy on the importance of caring for needy widows, and provides a set of requirements for widows who can \u201cbe enrolled.\u201d The idea of enrollment requirements suggests to some a membership model that is broader than the widow care participation.<\/p>\n Hebrews 13:17<\/strong> \u00a0The letter of Hebrews stipulates that Christians must obey their leaders and submit to them. The presence of leaders demands the existence of followers in the church, which are presumably organized in some way.<\/p>\n 1 Thessalonians 5:12-13<\/strong> Paul reminds Christians to respect and esteem those who labor among you, which suggests levels of order and specific roles in local assemblies.<\/p>\n 1 Corinthians 12:12-31<\/strong> This passage discusses the interrelated nature of the church using the metaphor of the body. The word \u201cmember\u201d is used, not in the structured sense of church membership, but rather in the sense of a body part. Unity and organic relationships among Christians are part of the overall theme.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n These verses and others support several overarching themes of the New Testament, often used to provide a basis for church membership:<\/p>\n \u2022 The existence of local assemblies. Clearly, the early church had localized iterations in various cities and regions. How big these were and exactly how structured they were is not entirely clear, but the assumption is that some level of organization was required \u2014 one that could theoretically involve membership.<\/p>\n \u2022 The command to edification. Christians are commanded to build each other up, and this \u00a0type of interaction may involve commitment to a local church, which may be formalized through membership.<\/p>\n \u2022 Church government and discipline. Church leadership is clearly described in the New Testament. It logically follows that leaders have followers, and those followers are members of an assembly.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n While church membership may not have an explicit scriptural command, there is nonetheless an implicit understanding of organization and accountability within local churches. The practical and contemporary application is most often what we think of as \u201cchurch membership.\u201d Most discussions of church membership start with the biblical foundation, but invariably expand into more pragmatic reasons for having church membership.<\/p>\n For example, one popular pastor blogged, \u201cIf you view church as some sort of ecclesiological buffet, then you severely limit the likelihood of your growing into maturity.\u201d This may or may not be true, but his comment illustrates the fact that we often insist on church membership less from a biblical basis, and more from a pragmatic basis. Another well known leader wrote, \u201cOnly when every believer is faithful to this kind of commitment is the church able to live up to her calling as Christ\u2019s representative here on earth. To put it simply, membership matters.\u201d<\/p>\n But what is described in these outtakes and other discussions of church membership is not really the formalized idea of membership<\/i> \u2014 \u201cSign and date here, please\u201d \u2014 as much as it is some level of Christian involvement<\/i> and accountability<\/i>. If by \u201cmembership\u201d we simply mean involvement <\/i>or accountability<\/i>, then so be it. But often, what is understood as \u201cmembership\u201d in most churches involves much more \u2014 perhaps more than the Bible suggests and commands.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Before we can really ask \u201cis membership necessary\u201d we need to know what we\u2019re talking about when we use the word \u201cmembership.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Here are some of the benefits of church membership<\/p>\n \u2022 It improves accountability. Church membership gives attendees a way to become accountable to one another in a formalized way.<\/p>\n \u2022 It forms a structure for church discipline. As a corollary to accountability, it\u2019s important that the church exercise its right and responsibility to discipline. Membership provides a fitting context for doing so.<\/p>\n \u2022 It prevents church-hopping. A single church that someone calls \u201chome,\u201d might reduce visiting around to other churches.<\/p>\n \u2022 It invites commitment. When attendees are formally part of an organization, it is more likely that they will give of their time and money to that organization.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n What characterizes each of these advantages is that they create an organizational structure for a church. We love organization\u00a0\u2014 the ordering of lists, the analyzing of numbers, and the projection of attendance. But for all its orderliness, maybe we\u2019ve missed the whole idea of the true membership, <\/i>as it\u2019s described in 1 Corinthians 12 \u2014 an organic and interrelated body, functioning synchronously and in allegiance to the Head.<\/p>\n Could it be that our insistence upon membership \u2014\u00a0and everything that goes along with it \u2014 is getting in the way of how a true body should function?<\/p>\n <\/p>\n The same things that constitute the upside of church membership can also be its downside. Whenever we deal with a topic in church life, there are pitfalls to avoid and dangers to keep in mind. Here are some of the customary concerns with church membership:<\/p>\n \u2022 It\u2019s \u201cnot biblical.\u201d Some may opine that church membership is not a biblical entity, and therefore we should not have it. This, an article from silence, is inherently a weak one. It is, perhaps, true that we cannot make a strong biblical case for membership, but saying \u201cit\u2019s not biblical\u201d is not by itself a reason to jettison it.<\/p>\n \u2022 It creates barriers to entry and involvement. Sometimes, churches hold members to a certain mode of baptism, a certain threshold of giving, or a certain narrow set of doctrinal distinctives. While every church can and should have distinctives, my point is simply to observe that requiring members to hold to these distinctives or creating other arbitrary membership qualifications can create a barrier. That barrier can be good, or that barrier can be bad. It depends on the barrier. One church that I attended used to require anyone who wanted to be a member to give a public testimony in front of the whole church \u2014 a crowd of as many as 1,000 people. Some people, possessing a paralyzing fear of public speaking, did not join the church because they were not willing to fulfill this requirement.<\/p>\n \u2022 It can cultivate an insider\/outsider culture. Those who are \u201cmembers\u201d may possess a smug superiority or, at best, a cavalier disregard for those who aren\u2019t in \u201cthe club.\u201d Such an attitude is not the fault of membership, but is a grievous effect of humankind\u2019s sin.<\/p>\n \u2022 It produces segmented local churches with little to no involvement with the Church as a whole. In our myriad of denominations, megachurch empire building, and the fierce \u201cindependence\u201d of some churches, we may have neglected a core truth of the church: \u00a0It is universal. We all submit to the same Head, Jesus Christ. Membership, for all its value, can further entrench us in our independence mindset and sectarian positions.<\/p>\n \u2022 It insists upon narrow qualifications that go far beyond issues of biblical legitimacy. Some churches insist upon a certain set of standards or beliefs. While such high standards may be commendable in their own right, do they truly belong on a pledge or covenant signed by a church member? Each church must answer this question honestly, with a care not to violate one of Christ\u2019s concerns about the pharisees: \u201cThey tie up heavy burdens, hard to bear, and lay them on people’s shoulders\u201d (Matthew 23:4).<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Is our idea of \u201cmembership\u201d too shaped by our culture? Today, \u201cmembership\u201d connotes things like joining a gym, being a Costco member, entering the Masonic lodge, or having a level of hotel perks. But none of these are remotely connected to a biblical idea of membership. In fact, the biblical idea of membership, as we\u2019ve seen, provides a huge variation simply on account of what it doesn\u2019t <\/i>say.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Are we creating unnecessary hindrances? Are we constructing false identities of what it means to be an \u201cobedient\u201d believer? \u00a0Are there ways to reimagine church membership, so that it is more closely connected to what the Bible says, and less connected to our own culturally-conscribed conceptions? These are not easy questions, but each generation of church leaders and\u2026.members?…should honestly seek biblical truth above comfortable conventions.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Is church membership really necessary? What do you think?<\/i><\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Daniel Threlfall<\/a>\u00a0has been writing church ministry articles for more than 10 years. With his background and training (M.A., M.Div.), Daniel is passionate about inspiring pastors and volunteers in their service to the King. Daniel is devoted to his family, nerdy about SEO, and drinks coffee with no cream or sugar. Learn more about Daniel at\u00a0his\u00a0blog<\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0twitter<\/a>.<\/em><\/em><\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Ever since the dawn of the church, people have thought about the idea of church membership. Is it right? Is it necessary? Is it important? Most denominations and churches today have some form of church membership. Churches of all sizes and varieties have membership classes, membership rolls, and even different gradations of membership (e.g., \u201cmember […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":12316,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"spay_email":"","footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_is_tweetstorm":false},"categories":[4154,4142],"tags":[2050,2020],"class_list":{"0":"post-12314","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-church-resources-church-resources","8":"category-outreach-ministry","9":"tag-church-membership","10":"tag-daniel-threlfall-articles"},"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/blogrouting.sharefaith.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/05\/members750.jpg","jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"yoast_head":"\nWhat are the benefits of church membership?<\/h1>\n
What are the disadvantages of church membership?<\/h1>\n
Have we made too much of church membership?<\/h1>\n
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