The Importance Of Church Membership

Having came across this several years ago and believing that this is so biblical, I thought I would post this and suggest you have your pastors look at it. It makes the most sense to me in an approach to biblical church membership. .... Enjoy, Steve

By the way...... Can someone be saved apart from the Church?

The Importance of Church Membership
By: Jay Adams

I began pastoring in the early fifties, trying to do all those things that I had been taught to do in seminary. I was careful to have inquirers classes before admitting anyone into membership ­­ I wasn't taking any chances on who might come into my church! I kept people at arms length, waiting until they asked whether they could join. You weren't going to catch me "pressuring" anyone into membership; no siree! And, as for church discipline? What was that, anyway? They never taught us anything about that in seminary. Churches just didn't do it.



Blithely I carried on in this fashion for three pastorates. Then for many years, I did not pastor a church; I was teaching in two theological seminaries. But, I attended church regularly, observed much, studied, did a lot of counseling, and, ultimately, reached very different conclusions about the matters mentioned above. Three years ago, I helped plant a church, beginning with just one family. The practices I now follow are what I want to talk to you about.


A. Immediate Church Membership


First, don't have inquirer classes that people must attend before they are admitted as members. Nowhere, in the book of Acts, can you find any such thing. Indeed, you have abundant precedent for the opposite. It seems that the New Testament apostles and preachers made every effort to bring converts into church membership as soon as possible. Thousands were baptized (into membership) immediately when they professed faith in Christ (Acts 2:41). Obviously, even the validation of their profession of faith could have been no more than cursory. There was a very different attitude than there is in many Bible­believing churches today. Take the Ethiopian Eunuch ­­ baptized, and thereby admitted to church membership, on the spot! And, of all things, Paul and Silas baptized the Philippian jailer and his household at midnight! Even though their backs were lacerated from beatings, the apostolic band thought it so important to get these new converts under the care and discipline of the church, they would not wait until morning.



B. Screening False Professors


"But how can you screen out false professors? And, is it right to allow people with so little knowledge into the church? I guess that's what the apostles did, but. . . ?" Well, let me explain. I think we have added the "communicant's class" as a prerequisite to membership because so few churches are willing to practice church discipline. In New Testament times it was easy to enter the church, but it meant something to remain. Nowadays, it is a little bit difficult (just a very little) to get into the church, but once in, you're in forever ­­­ no matter what you do. Why, in many churches, it doesn't take as much to remain a member as it does to retain your membership in Rotary! That is not how things ought to be.

1. Lifetime instruction, and
2. close care and
3. discipline over each member,


ought to be the rule. One should not think that once he has "graduated" from the inquirer's class he has graduated from study. The church is, as Calvin loved to call it, "God's school." Once one matriculates into membership through baptism (the admitting ordinance), he is to be instructed throughout life about how to "observe all things" that Christ commanded (Mat. 28:19, 20). The "Great Commission" is an educational one; it is a call to become part of a school from which you never graduate.

C. Immediate Connection in church membership is crucial and important


People ought to be called into membership as soon as they profess faith in Christ. New Testament preachers connect baptism so closely to the gospel invitation that some mistake it for a part of the gospel itself. It is not, of course (I Cor. 1:17 makes that abundantly clear), but immediately uniting with Christ's church and coming under its care and discipline is vitally important. Otherwise, people remain in Satan's territory, denied the blessings and protection of the church of Christ. Discipline is one such blessing.




Whenever one becomes delinquent in doctrine or life he has the benefit of discipline by the body to restore him. But you can't discipline a person who is not in the body. You have no authority over him. If a member fails to shape up, after all the stages of church discipline have been carefully followed, the disobedient "Christian" is put out of the fellowship. But you can't expel someone from something he was never a part of!


D. Many Christians Live Outside the Body in Disobedience to the Scriptures for BAD reasons!

Many lawless Christians remain outside of the church because they do not want to submit to the rule of the elders. But, to fail to do so is to disobey Scripture: "Obey those who rule over you, and be submissive, for they watch out for your souls, as those who must give account. Let them do so with joy and not with grief, for that would be unprofitable for you." Heb. 13:17. Such people like to live as they please; they don't want others to "watch" over them. Consequently, they soon get into trouble. So far as the New Testament is concerned, there are no lone wolf Christians. We are all to become parts of a body that is incomplete without every part; we are God's temple, into which all the stones must be placed. If you are not a member of the church of Christ, submitting to the rule of elders who are watching over you, act today (don't even wait until tomorrow)