The Importance of Church Membership

So, you attend a church service on Sunday mornings. Great! Lord willing, you are active in a community of believers and you are being discipled and discipling others. Within this community, are you a ‘member’ or an ‘attender’? You may be thinking…wait a minute…I go to this church every Sunday and I go to growth groups and I am active within this community of believers…what difference does it make? Why does that “little piece of paper” that states I am a member make a difference?

Well, before the importance of church membership can be discussed, an accurate definition of church membership must be formed. It is important to note that Scripture does not contain a passage that explicitly states, “you should be an official member of the local church body you attend.” That being said, there are many, many other topics in Scripture that do not have specific verses, yet, the Scriptural narratives can be applied to a plethora of situations. (For example, we don’t see verses on how to act on social media, yet it is full of passages regarding glorifying communication and one’s own presentation of self.) With that said, let’s quickly break down a few arguments supporting membership within a localized church body.

Look at the books of the New Testament. We know Paul wrote nearly half of the 27books, but take a closer look at the first verses in Paul’s epistles. He is addressing specific churches. He does not write Ephesians and address it to the global church, but rather, “…to the saints who are at Ephesus and who are faithful in Christ Jesus…” (Eph. 1:1). This is a consistent theme throughout the rest of the epistles – Paul directly addresses certain churches, implying that, while a believer in Ephesus was certainly a part of the global Church, the individual was part of a localized body that was facing specific issues at that time. Though addressing specific geographical churches, the teachings are still entirely applicable. 1Timothy 3:16-17 reminds us that, “All Scripture is inspired by God and beneficial for teaching, for rebuke, for correction, for training in righteousness; so that the man of God may be fully capable, equipped for every good work.”

In order to better understand who exactly Paul is addressing as members of these various early churches, it is crucial for us to understand who can and cannot be a member based on biblical examples. At its core, church membership is an understanding of a community dedicated to living as Christ called us to – in community with other believers, loving and serving each other. You may think, “well, I can do that without the official paperwork.” There is absolutely a community to be had with other believers where formal membership is not necessary. Similar to baptism, membership is an outward act of an inward change. Regarding membership, this change is that that you are committing to a specific local congregation. Within this body, if your commitment is lived out as seen throughout Scripture, you will worship together, serve each other, disciple each other into living godly lives, and contribute in many ways, including giving of your talents, time, and finances.

It is crucial to understand that formal church membership should only be made up of believers. If the church is a truly spiritual body, then it must be made of truly spiritual members. R. Stanton Norman, in his book The Baptist Way, put it eloquently: “We Baptists have never pretended that we can play the role of God and know the thoughts or the heart of a person…and that only those who make this profession through believer’s baptism should be admitted to the baptism of our churches.” Scripture is very clear that believers’ baptism is, as aforementioned, an outward act that shows you have died to yourself and given your life to Jesus Christ. It only makes sense that before one becomes a formal, committed member of a body, they make a public statement of the even greater commitment they have made to Jesus.

Not only are there spiritual reasons to be a member of your local congregation, but there are practical reasons as well. Just as every team has a roster, so a church should have membership opportunities. This identifies the members of the family. It shows who has committed to serve and love that particular community. In addition to that, there are two other practical reasons for membership.

Admittedly, the example of the early church given in Acts 2 is a beautiful picture of how a congregation should operate. However, especially in American churches, there is a large business side to maintaining the operations. Many churches, specifically Baptist churches, operate via congregational meetings where the members vote on particular issues. The theory is this: if you are a member of a church, you are invested. You have strong relationships, you know the leaders, you invest your time and your money, and ultimately, you’re committed to bettering that particular body. When it comes to voting on given matters, Lord willing, there is unity within the body as they are all seeking the same goal, and each person, as a member, has identified what they believe and have committed to bettering the congregation. If non-members were allowed to vote, then immediately there is a risk for disunity. As we’ve discussed, members should consist of baptized believers who have stated they agree with the mission and biblical values of the church, so the “vetting process” is complete. If a first-time guest voted in a church meeting, they are voting without relationships or history. There is no knowledge or relationship involved and it is purely a logical or opinionated decision. Even worse, this individual may not be a believer, which would mean that the congregation is allowing itself to be led by non-believers, which is clearly not a biblical concept and can quickly lead to dangerous ideologies and actions.

1 Corinthians 5 gives us an example of an unrepentant man sleeping with his stepmother. Paul explains that this unrepentance was cause for the man to be cast from the church (see Matthew 18 for more on church discipline). The point here is that it is clear the unrepentant man was part of “something.” If he was not part of the church in Corinth, how could be “removed from [their] midst?” Especially in the Western church, people often attend more than one church or “church hop” every few months or years. If you are not a member and you do not have a strong, committed relationship with that body, in the event of church discipline, it can, unfortunately, be far too easy for the typical American believer to abandon that church and move on to the next one, which is defeating the purpose of community and church discipline.

While the steps of church discipline do not always make it to the corporate (congregational) level, being a member of a church shows that you are submitting to those in authority and allowing them to lead you. 1 Peter 5:1-2 shows us that pastors and elders are indeed supposed to lead the body they are in. It states, “Therefore, I exhort the elders among you…shepherd the flock of God among you, exercising oversight, not under compulsion, but voluntarily, according to the will of God; and not for sordid gain, but with eagerness…” How can a leader lead if he isn’t sure who he is leading?

To summarize the necessity of church membership, one must understand that it is a biblically-sound concept even though it is not blatantly expressed in Scripture. It has both spiritual value and practical value. From an individual’s perspective, it formally shows the commitment to serving in a local congregation while simultaneously submitting to the leadership within it. It fosters growth spiritually as you make the unselfish choice to serve others in the community with Christ and provides accountability through a like-minded body of believers who have also committed to serving the body by discipling and rebuking members as necessary. From the practical perspective, it provides a group of people who believe the same biblical principles and who are dedicated to bettering the congregation through sanctification by lives committed to serving Jesus and the body. It allows for a united group of believers to work together to further the Kingdom through outreach and discipleship. It also provides a more biblical way of handling church business by ensuring that those voting on church matters believe the same theological principles and are striving to meet God’s will for the body. Ultimately, church membership is the embodiment of Acts 2 and is a self-sacrificial act that tells your church congregation that you are there to celebrate Jesus, connect with other believers, and contribute to bettering that specific church body.