Hi Elizabeth & Marc et all
Have you ever addressed what the Bible says about “church membership”
Currently in our church there are more adherents than members. You can also guess some of the so called “members” we don’t even know!

I want to call all attenders “members of the spiritual family of my town’s Baptist Church”

Eg: no membership classes, no baptismal cert etc etc. I know it won’t fly.

Here’s an excerpt from a letter I recently wrote my pastor regarding reasons people aren’t readily becoming members. Any buttons pushed?
Joe
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There are many barriers that stand in the way of membership, here are but a few.
THE MEMBERSHIP TOKEN. You get only one and it stays where its put. This is our older generations thinking. You were born raised & died all in one denomination & preferably one church. That’s where your “Family” membership is. It doesn’t move!

THE HONOUR BUTTON. Your friends and fellow leaders at another church never let go or you loyalty or your years of memory and service never let you go. When you return you don’t want to be a visitor but treated with honour of the full leader and friend you once were. Transferring your so-called membership would be such an embarrassment.

WRONG BAPTISM. Your friends and family who are very well aware of your testimony would find it odd and confusing on being informed that your original baptism is flawed and void and that you must get done a “second time”. For many families and faiths this would raise great confusion and consternation . . . anyways it’s the opposite of “testimony” Having this inferior baptism some folks just choose not to cause their parents and loved-ones any grief. (And therefore are banned from membership)

BEER FRIDGE BOGGLE. Many years ago “drinking” and ‘abstinence” were clearly spelled out in the member’s obligations. Many chose not to become members not because they “wanted to or needed to drink” but just because they thought “the church had no business in the wine cellars of its members” (and anyways it left guilt-free a little Christmas wine with the family still open). The requirement was “watered” down but still did not result in a membership surge since the cynical reaction was: “you didn’t change because of scripture or the moving of the Holy Spirit but just for us and to get us to be members” Two decades ago, two prideful decades! Some families and certainly their children have long forgotten why they’re not members.

BAPTIST BUTTON FRIGHT. All your life maybe “Baptists” were in the jokes or the wrong side of a snide remark. Maybe you’ve even said “darn Baptists”. Now you find yourself at UBC, you love the people and everything, except now you think: “if I become a member, won’t that make me a Baptist?”

I’M NOT INTO POLITICS. I have a function, I have a ministry, I’m doing my best in the body and have no interest in higher leadership, business meetings or the internal politics of the structure.

I’M BUSY ENOUGH THANKS I’m like the politics guy except I am qualified and have had many senior rolls in other churches, I could be here too, but I’m just too busy, my doctor & wife both say I have to “cut down and back”. If I became a member why I just know I couldn’t say “no”. Being a non-member protects me from those busy nominating guys, and I get a great barrier from taking on anything more.