I have heard many discussions about church membership throughout the years, and I myself have asked people questions like “why are you not a member of this or that local church?”, “Or what church are you a member of?” Because in my point of view from scripture, I understand that once one has found a church that is biblical, though not perfect, He would want to join. In other words, become a member.
Commitment and Belonging
We can all agree that order and structure in the church is biblical. For example: We go from knowing who the elders are, the pastor (also an elder), the deacons and so on. We not only choose these offices according to the requirements and qualifications given in scriptures, but we expect those in these positions to act accordingly. We expect them not only to be involved, to attend, but to commit to the church. That is part of the biblical order and structure of the church (Titus 1:5).
For any group to function properly, you have to know who is part of the group, and who is not. You must be able to identify who belongs to this family and who does not. I know the neighbor’s kid does not belong to my family, but if he keeps coming to my home on a regular basis, he will have to follow the basic rules of my house just as he partakes in our daily meals. Let alone he happens to be adopted into my family, he now commits and belongs to my home. He becomes a family member.
In the same manner, everyone who professes to be a Christian has been called to join this building that Christ says He is building as He proclaims, “I will build My Church” (Matt 16:18). And as one who is committed to Christ for life and death, you must also be committed to the church, or to the body of Christ in certain measures. As you join, you must belong! And with that comes certain responsibilities. You must also be willing to sit under the given offices of authority mentioned above, as ordered by the Lord through the teachings of the apostles. That implies submission, obedience, as well as accountability and discipline. All under the word of God as sole authority.
In the church gathering we see an organic unity around the word of Christ; with the doctrines of the apostles as the foundation and Christ himself as the Supreme head. It is where we have fellowship with God the Father and with one another as taught by the apostle John (1 John 1:3).
In that context of fellowship, the local church is described in the scriptures as “the flock”, “the household”, “the body” … All these terms imply the verb “to belong”; and actively so. It takes several sheep in a given location to make a flock; it takes several people joined together to make a household; it takes several persons who commit and belong together to make a family; several limbs attached together to make a body. Just like the body knows nothing of unattached limbs, the church knows nothing of unattached members.
Saying that we do not want to be members of a local church is a refusal to belong, to join or commit to the church. We want to be free from all commitments but simply attend and enjoy the blessings that flow through the Church: like the intercessory prayers of other members… We want to be free from all responsibilities while we enjoy ‘hearing’ the preaching of God’s word. If we want to have a Pastor shepherding us, while we do not want to belong or commit to the flock, we might as well become a wandering sheep hopping around different pastures; More evidently in this situation, we prove that we do not understand the church of the New Testament.
Negligence of Engagement
I have visited families before, where every child only leaves his bedroom to come to the dining room, whenever dinner is being served. Those who want to eat at the dining table would sit and eat silently, then return to their room right after; that one child who does not want to commune or commit at all, picks up his meal and eats in his bedroom. I would dare to say that this cannot be a healthy family.
Now some of us act just like that. We come to church, sing a couple of songs, pick up what we’d like to hear from the sermon and rush out of the door. We have no desire to commune, to contribute, let alone to commit. That kind of attitude denies the significance and context of fellowship in the body. It excludes the opportunities for us to practice our spiritual gifts for the benefit of the body. And again, many of us act in such a manner to avoid commitment, exhortation and accountability. How can we then practice all the “one anothers” found in scriptures?
For those who think that Church membership is unnecessary, it is often more suitable for them to just sit on the couch at their preferred time and posture, then listen to the sermon on the television screen. Since they want to be on their own schedule, don’t want to be known or get to know others; they do not desire to partake, to fellowship, or spend time with other believers. Therefore, church membership is not biblical, they say. Or at least it is not found in the bible.
Neglecting the local church and feeling uncomfortable to spend time with other saints is an unhealthy symptom in the life of a Christian.
What is Church membership?
Many of us dread signing a document or make a verbal commitment regarding our church membership. Even if this church’s bylaws and constitution are fully biblical and profit to our advantages both ways. Now signing a document might signify that you are officially a member, for many churches; but being a member of the body means MORE than just signing a piece of paper. It means engaging, partaking, loving, contributing, communing, praying for and serving the church as a Christian. Being member of a biblical church likeminded means that you have found a true family, as we are all adopted by the same Father through His Son Jesus Christ (Phil 2:2). It means that you have voluntarily join that assembly to sit under its leaders and the preaching of God’s word. That also defines the Pastor’s responsibility toward those who are entrusted to him, including you (Heb 13:17). While those outside of his congregation attending other churches are not considered to be under his care and are not those for whom he will give an account.
Martyn Lloyd-Jones rightly said:
We must re-grasp the idea of church membership as being the membership of the body of Christ and as the biggest honour which can come man’s way in this world.
I assure you that Paul and the leaders in the New Testament knew exactly who the members of the church (brethren) of Laodicea were, and who were the members of the church in the house of Nymphas (Col 4:15). There are several doctrines in the bible that we cannot point in one specific verse but are nonetheless biblical and crucial. Church membership might not be one of those crucial doctrines or a salvific matter, but certainly is biblical. So, once we have come to find a biblical church, we must prayerfully consider joining, and becoming a member.
