Pretty Confused and Amused by Church Regulations.

twin1954 · Apr 1, 2018

Radagast said:
And who checks whether these pastors are truly faithful? Do bishops check? Popes? Elders? Congregations? Nobody?

It is obvious by how they lead and what they preach. Moreover I didn't say to follow them unquestionably but as they follow Christ by the Spirit. That is the Biblical model.

Paidiske · Apr 1, 2018

DeaconDean said:
Not always.

If a new member joins from another Baptist church, unless the new member wants to be baptized again, all we do is send for their "letter".

The only ones I know of, that demand a "re-baptism" upon membership are "Landmarkers".

God Bless

Till all are one.

No, I didn't mean to suggest you'd require re-baptism. But that requiring baptism - or evidence, as in the "letter" - is itself a form of "formal process"?

DeaconDean · Apr 2, 2018

Paidiske said:
No, I didn't mean to suggest you'd require re-baptism. But that requiring baptism - or evidence, as in the "letter" - is itself a form of "formal process"?

What it boils down to is, a letter from another church may show that the prospective member has met the requirements for Membership into the church.

"XV. BAPTISM

Baptism is an ordinance of the Lord Jesus, obligatory upon every believer, wherein he is immersed in water in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, as a sign of his fellowship with the death and resurrection of Christ, of remission of sins, and of his giving himself up to God, to live and walk in newness of life. It is prerequisite to church fellowship, and to participation in the Lord's Supper. "

Source

A "letter" from one church to another, tells us that they have confessed a belief in the Risen Savior, Repented, Baptized, and is eligible for membership into any church that will have them, and the benefits therein.

God Bless

Till all are one.

98cwitr · Apr 12, 2018

CosmicTraveller said:
So coming from a bumpkin baptist church in rural Florida to a more metropolitan church in another state has been kind of a strange experience.

So pretty much at the old church, if you showed up regularly you were considered a member. Here there's a formal process. So we asked the pastor at the time about it. He sent a nice letter and saying the church was there and happy to serve our family. Great, we thought that was it.

Last weekend one of the deacons approached and asked why we hadn't joined the church. I'm sure he appreciated the deer in the headlights look I gave him. So the pastor we talked to had some convictions, and was pretty ironclad in them. He quit last October because he objected to Trunk or Treat. That's fine, some people do, but he also didn't register a complaint about it or give any advance notice. He just walked. He'd done a few other slightly odd things as well.

Turns out there is a whole formal process to go through to join, and he just blew us off. We had no idea, though. LOL.

To me at least, it seems about numbers, which equal a bigger budget. Churches are starting to look more like country clubs than places of worship and holiness. :/

I've been going to the same church, teaching Sunday school, and chaperoning youth retreats for nearly 8 years now, and I'm not an official member of that church (little 'c').

thecolorsblend · Apr 15, 2018

CosmicTraveller said:
So coming from a bumpkin baptist church in rural Florida to a more metropolitan church in another state has been kind of a strange experience.

So pretty much at the old church, if you showed up regularly you were considered a member. Here there's a formal process. So we asked the pastor at the time about it. He sent a nice letter and saying the church was there and happy to serve our family. Great, we thought that was it.

Last weekend one of the deacons approached and asked why we hadn't joined the church. I'm sure he appreciated the deer in the headlights look I gave him. So the pastor we talked to had some convictions, and was pretty ironclad in them. He quit last October because he objected to Trunk or Treat. That's fine, some people do, but he also didn't register a complaint about it or give any advance notice. He just walked. He'd done a few other slightly odd things as well.

Turns out there is a whole formal process to go through to join, and he just blew us off. We had no idea, though. LOL.

Different Baptist communities tend to have different rules about it. The Southern Baptist community of which I am technically still a member (in spite of my sincerest efforts) once offered a membership orientation spread over three Sundays. That was eventually condensed to a single Sunday plus a form obligating the signee to agreement with the SB Faith & Message.

Point being that it's common for different places to place different expectations on would-be members.

jsimms615 · Aug 28, 2018

In every Baptist church I have ever been in you have to come down front at the end of the service and say you wish to join. Some churches also have membership classes you have to attend

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Pretty Confused and Amused by Church Regulations.

twin1954

Baptist by the Bible

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Paidiske

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DeaconDean

γέγονα χαλκὸς, κύμβαλον ἀλαλάζον

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98cwitr

Lord forgive me

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thecolorsblend

If God is your Father, who is your Mother?

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jsimms615

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