Should Churches have Requirements for Membership...

[Zaac]

If churches want to offer voluntary classes about the bible for new members, great. I don't think it should be required though. What if someone already knows what the beliefs of the denomination are, you would just be wasting their time. And what if they don't care about the beliefs of the denomination, they just want a place to worship? Not saying that's a good idea, in fact it's a pretty bad one, but you never know with people. It also might scare away prospective members, if they know they are going to get "drilled" with the bible before they can officially join the church. These one on one session seem a little daunting to me, especially for someone so new to the Christian ambiance.

It's not even a drilling of the Bible. It's a this is what is required of you as a member thing, and if you don't go through this, you can't be a member.

It sets the church up to look like hypocrites. We pretend to love up on people and will go out of our way to bring them to Christ and once they accept, we put on our "that was nice but you still are REQUIRED to do this faces."

 

[scraparcs]

I keep coming back to this: 16"For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son,that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life John 3:16

How do we as churches with a straight face tell people this and then turn around and say, "Oh yeah, you ALSO need to take these classes if you want to be a member of this church. "

Why don't we just say "God has accepted you, but we need some more time to make sure that we want you."

Ah, but are we excluding anyone from membership this way, or just saying to wait? It's a major decision, and it's reasonable that a bit of time to consider it is not a bad thing.

 

[Zaac]

I believe that having at least one class before admitting as a member of a church body to be a good idea since the pastor of a church is responsible for its members and this would elminate many church splits happening more and more when you have lots of different people holding different beliefs on doctrinal issues it would also eliminate the revolving door syndrome in many churches where people become members who become so just by moving their 'letter' from another church where they were baptised just because they heard one good 'sermon' that they liked .

You can have as many classes as you like. The question here is does a Biblical reason exist for restricting membership of those who have accepted Christ as Lord and Savior because they have done something like this?

Church splits over doctrine aren't the result of not knowing what a church is doing before you get there. Those splits are the result of churches CHANGING their position and doing something new.

AS for the revolving door syndrome, that again, is the result of the church not discipling people. Of the many churches that I visit yearly, it is very rare that the church has ANY IDEA where over half of the people on the church roles even are. We have not gotten involved in people's lives and then we wonder why they aren't there. If the church were doing what it is supposed to do, we would at least know why they weren't there.

Many churches admit members as members who have no clue what baptism meant , no real clue of salvation because perhaps they became a member of another church as a child etc..

And I say again, if you want to educate someone about such church ordinances, then educate them. Don't prohibit their membership because they don't know. If someone has accepted Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior, what Biblical reason do we have for prohibiting their membership into the church simply because they don't understand something?

We've got folks who are members and serving in positions of authority in every church across the United States who have no clue about salvation. Are we going to revoke their memberships until they get a clue?

The issue I keep seeing is that we are instituting these programs to deal with our lack of doing what we are supposed to do AFTER people join the church.

A true fellowship of believers in a church group would share doctrinal belief and share gifts to edify one another and be of one mind - can a church be of one mind with many members who dont understand the doctrinal beliefs of the church ?

Should the doctrinal beliefs of the church be any different from those given by Christ? Is there a Biblical reason for denying membership because people do not understand doctrinal beliefs which should be nothing more than a reflection of God's Word which no one within the church has a full understanding of?

However someone who gets saved and baptised within the particular church group , thats another matter because its assumed they will be councelled accordingly before being baptised to ensure they understand the descision they are making .

Yep. This is the kind of stuff that should be going on with altar counseling. I'm just really trying to understand where churches are perceiving to get the authority to restrict membership based upon something like this.

Sink or swim is not a good way to run a church . People need to understand what they are part of so they can be effective . The bible says "my people perish for lack of knowledge " and "study to show thyself aproved"

Then why not require, to maintain membership, the same classes for those sitting in the congregation who do not have a clue?

 

[Zaac]

Ah, but are we excluding anyone from membership this way, or just saying to wait? It's a major decision, and it's reasonable that a bit of time to consider it is not a bad thing.

The purpose of people coming to Christ is to come to Christ, not to a church. And if Christ has accepted them and they want to be a member of the church, where is our Biblical reason for prohibiting it based upon required learning?

It is indeed a major decision. But so is the walking down that aisle to make a public confession of Christ. What is our Biblical reason for saying to a person that after waiting all your life to get to that point and publicly making known that you have accepted the free gift of Christ, that you need to wait a little bit longer and ponder whether or not you want to be a member of this church?

 

[NothingButTheBlood]

Church splits over doctrine aren't the result of not knowing what a church is doing before you get there. Those splits are the result of churches CHANGING their position and doing something new.

We've got folks who are members and serving in positions of authority in every church across the United States who have no clue about salvation. Are we going to revoke their memberships until they get a clue?

Should the doctrinal beliefs of the church be any different from those given by Christ? Is there a Biblical reason for denying membership because people do not understand doctrinal beliefs which should be nothing more than a reflection of God's Word which no one within the church has a full understanding of?

You would be suprised what splits a church, it is usually not doctrine.

If you have someone who is in a postition of authority who doesn't understand salvation then yes you should reduce that authority and make sure they are saved.

The requirements to become a member of my church is to:
1.) Give a profession of faith
2.) Read and agree to the church by-laws
3.) Be baptised as a showing of faith and committment

I don't find any thing wrong with any of the above. I don't have a problem with counseling either. A church is a agency as well as a place of worship. You want to make sure those who are members are on target with everyone else. AGAIN you are not restricting attendence just membership.

 

[Zaac]

A church is a agency as well as a place of worship.

We were in agreement up until this statement. The purpose of the church PERIOD is to equip people for worship of God.

What do you mean by agency???

You want to make sure those who are members are on target with everyone else. AGAIN you are not restricting attendence just membership.

If they have been accepted by Jesus Christ, shouldn't we be making sure they are on target with HIM ? Is that not done by discipling members?

And I ask again, what is our Biblical reason for restricting membership over something God did not say to do?

 

[GreenDragon]

We were in agreement up until this statement. The purpose of the church PERIOD is to equip people for worship of God.

What do you mean by agency???

A church still has employees, and they need to be paid. It has business that needs to be dealt with. The members do that.

 

[Zaac]

A church still has employees, and they need to be paid. It has business that needs to be dealt with. The members do that.

Nope. A church has members. The only busines that a church needs to deal with is God's. And that's what every Christian is called to do. And if the business of the church is being done in a Godly way, it should ALWAYS lead back to worship of God by the members.

 

[Blackmarch]

I keep coming back to this: 16"For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son,that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life John 3:16

How do we as churches with a straight face tell people this and then turn around and say, "Oh yeah, you ALSO need to take these classes if you want to be a member of this church. "

Why don't we just say "God has accepted you, but we need some more time to make sure that we want you."

If John 3:16 is all you need to tell people then, no you shouldn't have classes. But perhaps there is a reason for the rest of the Bible existing.

 

[Zaac]

If John 3:16 is all you need to tell people then, no you shouldn't have classes. But perhaps there is a reason for the rest of the Bible existing.

There is indeed a reason for the rest of it existing, and I'm just asking which part of the rest of the Bible do we derive the authority to prohibit church membership based upon people not knowing something?

 

[Blackmarch]

Depends on whether you have to just say you accept Christ is all you have to do to be saved (or something similar)... you don't need a class for that. And if all that is what you have to do, then that is what the church should teach.
Is there a reference for saying you need to have a class to enter a church?probably not, but there are probably references about learning and needing to know God's word and will.
Although (going back a couple of post's) If having a class is contradictory to the principles that is being taught then either the class is in error, or the principle is in error.

 

[Zaac]

Depends on whether you have to just say you accept Christ is all you have to do to be saved (or something similar)... you don't need a class for that. And if all that is what you have to do, then that is what the church should teach.
Is there a reference for saying you need to have a class to enter a church?probably not, but there are probably references about learning and needing to know God's word and will.

It doesn't have to be a reference to a class because I'm pretty sure that ain't in there. I'm just trying to see if there is a Biblical precedent for prohibiting membership of those who have accepted Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior.

Did Jesus Christ require such a thing?
Did the Acts Church require any such thing? Or is this just another program masquerading as something else while still absolving us of the responsibility to spiritually grow and disciple people AFTER they join the Church?

 

[Blackmarch]

It doesn't have to be a reference to a class because I'm pretty sure that ain't in there. I'm just trying to see if there is a Biblical precedent for prohibiting membership of those who have accepted Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior.

Did Jesus Christ require such a thing?
Did the Acts Church require any such thing? Or is this just another program masquerading as something else while still absolving us of the responsibility to spiritually grow and disciple people AFTER they join the Church?

Well there is the case of the couple that had given all their property to church (or sold it to give the money to the church) but then later kept some of it and were stricken dead shortly thereafter. The couple still believed Christ, but didn't keep their promise.. There is also the case of where a Man tried to buy the priesthood from the apostles, (if one remembers correctly, after he was baptised).


As for comments about a program going around masquerading as something else, they will not be posted here.

 

[Zaac]

Well there is the case of the couple that had given all their property to church (or sold it to give the money to the church) but then later kept some of it and were stricken dead shortly thereafter. The couple still believed Christ, but didn't keep their promise.. There is also the case of where a Man tried to buy the priesthood from the apostles, (if one remembers correctly, after he was baptised).

But is either a case of people being prohibited from joining the church based upon the church's beliefs?

 

[Blackmarch]

But is either a case of people being prohibited from joining the church based upon the church's beliefs?

Not from joining but later what they did had them exxed from the church. So the church should prohibit from joining those who are living or believing someting that will get them excommunicated from the church, until they change or are in the process of changing that... which classes can help with.

 

[Zaac]

Ah, but are we excluding anyone from membership this way, or just saying to wait? It's a major decision, and it's reasonable that a bit of time to consider it is not a bad thing.

From what I've been told, these people cannot become members of the church UNLESS they take these classes.

There are a whole lot of things that are reasonable. My question is if it's Biblical to place such a requirement on what is supposed to be a fellowship brought together to worship God?

 

[Zaac]

Not from joining but later what they did had them exxed from the church. So the church should prohibit from joining those who are living or believing someting that will get them excommunicated from the church, until they change or are in the process of changing that... which classes can help with.

But that was one of the points I mentioned earlier. We are givene Biblical direction as to how to deal with MEMBERS who are being divisive or not adhering to sound Biblical doctrine, and are also given the methodology by which we are to remove people.

We , however, are not directed to prohibit membership into the church body based upon these things. Jesus was drawing people to Him FIRST, and then taking them through the sanctification process of molding them into His image.He never presented anybody with a "you got to do all these things" scenario to become a member of His Church, nor do you see it exemplified by the first church. So why are we suddenly starting to do this?

 

[GreenDragon]

Nope. A church has members. The only busines that a church needs to deal with is God's. And that's what every Christian is called to do. And if the business of the church is being done in a Godly way, it should ALWAYS lead back to worship of God by the members.

What is the pastor? S/he is not a member, but an employee of the church. Our church also has a paid secretary that's not a member of the church.

 

[Blackmarch]

But that was one of the points I mentioned earlier. We are givene Biblical direction as to how to deal with MEMBERS who are being divisive or not adhering to sound Biblical doctrine, and are also given the methodology by which we are to remove people.

We , however, are not directed to prohibit membership into the church body based upon these things. Jesus was drawing people to Him FIRST, and then taking them through the sanctification process of molding them into His image.He never presented anybody with a "you got to do all these things" scenario to become a member of His Church, nor do you see it exemplified by the first church. So why are we suddenly starting to do this?

In the end it matters not to me... it's your church.

 

[JimfromOhio]

The Bible actually infers two kinds of members.

First Kind of Member is at SALVATION: At the instant of our conversion, we become “positional members” in the universal church of Jesus Christ, based solely on His merit and grace. If you are a Christ-follower, then you are already this kind of member. This is eternal and unchanging (I Corinthians 12:12-13; Ephesians 2:13-22; 4:3-6; Colossians 1:13-22).

Second Kind of Member is at Local Church, the Bible also assumes those “positional members” become deeply involved in the participation of a local assembly (Romans 12:1-8; 1 Corinthians. 12:25-31; 14:12, 26; Hebrews 10:24-25; I Tim. 3:14-15).

The Scriptures teach every believers to be committed to a local church where he or she is loved and cared for, instructed in the things Christ commanded, encouraged to grow spiritually, and serving Christ effectively. The classes are intended to help every believer who attends a Church to come to that place of faith, commitment, and fruitfulness. It is designed as an overview of some of the most foundational truths in the Christian faith. This is one requirement for membership at most Churches. There is no obligation to become a member because the classes will be helpful whether or not you become a member. The primary reason to become a participating member is not to gain a personal advantage, but to identify with the characteristics of biblical maturity and commitment to the mission and future of a local church.