What is church "membership?"

[BlackZeppelin]

What does it mean to be a church "member?" I'm not convinced at all by this concept, to be honest and an suspicious it's a load of convoluted, man made nonsense.

If you are faithfully and regularly attending a local church, faithfully supporting it financially and involved in it, aren't you automatically a "member?".

The reason I ask is because the last church I attended for 10 yrs, I was faithful all that time and involved in the music team, but was told in the end that I was "not a member".

Hence my non church attendance for the next 16 yrs. But I digress. I will never be part of a local church that practices this false division of its congregation.

What are your thoughts?

 

[Albion]

What does it mean to be a church "member?" I'm not convinced at all by this concept, to be honest and an suspicious it's a load of convoluted, man made nonsense.

If you are faithfully and regularly attending a local church, faithfully supporting it financially and involved in it, aren't you automatically a "member?".

You may have a philosophical approach to the matter that deserves some consideration, but each denomination has its own rules and a formal way to become a member . The standard varies from denomination to denomination.

What are your thoughts?

I think visitors should always be welcome, and many churches treat frequent visitors as if they were members, but I do think that there are both practical and spiritual/theological reasons for making a distinction between sympathizers or frequent visitors and actual members.

 

[Korean-American Christian]

What does it mean to be a church "member?" I'm not convinced at all by this concept, to be honest and an suspicious it's a load of convoluted, man made nonsense. If you are faithfully and regularly attending a local church, faithfully supporting it financially and involved in it, aren't you automatically a "member?".
The reason I ask is because the last church I attended for 10 yrs, I was faithful all that time and involved in the music team, but was told in the end that I was "not a member". Hence my non church attendance for the next 16 yrs. But I digress. I will never be part of a local church that practices this false division of its congregation. What are your thoughts?

I am sorry that you went through that horrible experience. My thoughts on this subject: Hyper-conservative churches (especially Hyper-conservative Reformed/Calvinistic churches) practice this false division of its congregation.

My uncle is a pastor of an Independent Reformed Church in Korea (Hyper-conservative). I faithfully attended the church, but I was still not a "member" and I was excluded from the Lord's Table (Communion)

 

[BlackZeppelin]

You may have a philosophical approach to the matter that deserves some consideration, but each denomination has its own rules and a formal way to become a member . The standard varies from denomination to denomination.


I think visitors should always be welcome, and many churches treat frequent visitors as if they were members, but I do think that there are both practical and spiritual/theological reasons for making a distinction between sympathizers or frequent visitors and actual members.

Isn't an actual "member" simply a person who is a regular part of a church?

This doesn't encourage me back to fellowship to be honest.

 

[Albion]

My uncle is a pastor of an Independent Reformed Church in Korea (Hyper-conservative). I faithfully attended the church, but I was still not a "member" and I was excluded from the Lord's Table (Communion)

The exclusion of non-members is a very old practice among Christians and certainly is not something peculiar to Calvinists. The question in your case would seem to be, "What was (or would have been) the church's explanation for your exclusion from the Lord's Supper??"

 

[BlackZeppelin]

The other problem I have is this. Even if I did return to a local fellowship that segregated people into members and non members, I wouldn't be encouraged to be involved. All I would really do is just attend the service.

I have no interest at all in participating in a fellowship that can wrongly declare faithful and giving/serving people a non member.

You can't have it both ways. You can't have the privilege of declaring faithful people non members and expect those same people to serve and give generously.

I will never do that again.

 

[Korean-American Christian]

The exclusion of non-members is a very old practice among Christians and certainly is not something peculiar to Calvinists. The question in your case would seem to be, "What was (or would have been) the church's explanation for your exclusion from the Lord's Supper??"

The church's explanation for my exclusion from the Lord's Supper is simple - You are involved in this church, but you are not a "full member" of this church. Full membership required a formal membership process

 

[Tull]

Isn't an actual "member" simply a person who is a regular part of a church?

This doesn't encourage me back to fellowship to be honest.

Its people being people,not much that can be done about it.

 

[Albion]

Isn't an actual "member" simply a person who is a regular part of a church?

As I was saying...no, it's not.

This doesn't encourage me back to fellowship to be honest.

I understand. It seems petty and almost insulting. But OTOH we do follow orderly procedures in most other areas of life, so unless the membership requirements are clearly burdensome or silly, maybe you should suppress the impulse to feel resentful--if you do really identify with some congregation and would want to be part of that fellowship. BUT also, I would have to know more about the particular denomination, the particular procedures, and so on before reaching a definite conclusion about this whole thing.

 

[Albion]

The church's explanation for my exclusion from the Lord's Supper is simple - You are involved in this church, but you are not a "full member" of this church. Full membership required a formal membership process

OK. I assume that if you were already baptized, you'd be considered a member, in a spiritual sense, of Christ's church, but just not a member of that particular congregation.

When this is the case, it's usually because that congregation or denomination has a belief that the visible body of Christ, the congregation which preaches the Gospel and administers the Sacraments, is the assembly of Christians who are in agreement with the doctrines of that church. It's not a gathering of people who believe in Christ but yet believe 'who knows what' on all other matters.

 

[BlackZeppelin]

OK. I assume that if you were already baptized, you'd be considered a member, in a spiritual sense, of Christ's church, but just not a member of that particular congregation.

When this is the case, it's usually because that congregation or denomination has a belief that the visible body of Christ, the congregation which preaches the Gospel and administers the Sacraments, is the assembly of Christians who are in agreement with the doctrines of that church. It's not a gathering of people who believe in Christ but yet believe 'who knows what' on all other matters.

When I was told that I was not a member, it had nothing to do with my beliefs, as I wasn't even questioned about it. So that is not true at all.

If churches want to have these rubbish divisions, then fine. That is their right I suppose. I also have the right to not participate in the church apart from attending the service.

 

[AlexDTX]

What does it mean to be a church "member?" I'm not convinced at all by this concept, to be honest and an suspicious it's a load of convoluted, man made nonsense.

If you are faithfully and regularly attending a local church, faithfully supporting it financially and involved in it, aren't you automatically a "member?".

The reason I ask is because the last church I attended for 10 yrs, I was faithful all that time and involved in the music team, but was told in the end that I was "not a member".

Hence my non church attendance for the next 16 yrs. But I digress. I will never be part of a local church that practices this false division of its congregation.

What are your thoughts?

Could it mean that they regarded you as an illegal emigrant? I jest, of course, and agree with you regarding the stupidity of the classification. If you are born again, you are a member of the only house of God ("church" is German for house) aka the body of Christ. Denominations are business franchises. I have had nothing to do with them myself for the last 10 years. Does that mean I think they are wrong or evil? No, I don't. Some are good organizations that serve the Kingdom of God. But the system of one man dominating his opinion over a congregation is usually lame and boring. When I participated in those clubs the first 20 years of my walk with Christ the only good that came from them was making friends with fellow believers. But those friendships did not come from the preaching time. They were made from the Sunday School and home cell group times.

 

[BlackZeppelin]

Seriously guys, I would love to see any pastor tell me to be involved in a church but tell me I may or may not be considered a member.

Not happening.

 

[Albion]

When I was told that I was not a member, it had nothing to do with my beliefs, as I wasn't even questioned about it. So that is not true at all.

Well, I still don't know what the situation is. If a longterm visitor asked why he was denied communion or something like that, I can imagine that the answer indeed would be "You aren't a member." That is the reason, yes.

However, you didn't follow that up with any other question, I'm assuming, such as "What does it take to BECOME a member?" That's what we'd have to know in order to understand the underlying reason. Does the church require baptism for membership and you were not baptized? Or does the church require a public confession of faith for membership? Or it could be something else.

 

[Korean-American Christian]

OK. I assume that if you were already baptized, you'd be considered a member, in a spiritual sense, of Christ's church, but just not a member of that particular congregation.
When this is the case, it's usually because that congregation or denomination has a belief that the visible body of Christ, the congregation which preaches the Gospel and administers the Sacraments, is the assembly of Christians who are in agreement with the doctrines of that church. It's not a gathering of people who believe in Christ but yet believe 'who knows what' on all other matters.

The funny thing was....I was in full agreement with the doctrines of that church. I even studied the Heidelberg Catechism and the Canons of Dort on my own time. I just didn't know that there was a formal membership process or what that membership process entailed

 

[Albion]

The funny thing was....I was in full agreement with the doctrines of that church. I even studied the Heidelberg Catechism and the Canons of Dort on my own time. I just didn't know that there was a formal membership process or what that membership process entailed

Like it or not, different denominations have different standards when this is the issue. Many would not exclude you if the pastor knew what you believed. But others would require subscription to a doctrinal statement, or a confession of faith made before the congregation (if, in that church, applicants are voted on), or something else (as I was saying to BlackZeppelin). Some of these I sympathize with and others I do not.

 

[Galatea]

I grew up in a Bible church, a grace church. We did not have members, not formal members. It was because many grace believers believe firmal church membership is a form of legalism. The thinking was that if a person was saved, then they are a member of the Church and that was all that was necessary. I never knew about churches having membership procedures until I was grown. I thought if you went to church and were involved, then that meant you were a member of that church. I had no concept of church rolls, or things like that.

Before we had a communion sevice, our pastor would talk to us- not preach, exactly, but talk. Young children were excused and sent to Sunday School classes. He would tell us about the Scriptures that tell us not to take the Lord's Supper unworthily, to examine ourselves to see whether we are saved or not. These services were always special and intimate. He did not tell people that if they did not attend services there regularly, then they could not partake of the Lord's Supper- but told ALL of the congregants to examine our own hearts.

I know people tend to have a "down" on grace believers, but I think that not having members of the church- in a formal sense, is good. I believe many churches have memberships in order for unsaved people not to take communion unworthily, but if it is explained beforehand to people what communion is, I think it should be no problem.

 

[BlackZeppelin]

I grew up in a Bible church, a grace church. We did not have members, not formal members. It was because many grace believers believe firmal church membership is a form of legalism. The thinking was that if a person was saved, then they are a member of the Church and that was all that was necessary. I never knew about churches having membership procedures until I was grown. I thought if you went to church and were involved, then that meant you were a member of that church. I had no concept of church rolls, or things like that.

Before we had a communion sevice, our pastor would talk to us- not preach, exactly, but talk. Young children were excused and sent to Sunday School classes. He would tell us about the Scriptures that tell us not to take the Lord's Supper unworthily, to examine ourselves to see whether we are saved or not. These services were always special and intimate. He did not tell people that if they did not attend services there regularly, then they could not partake of the Lord's Supper- but told ALL of the congregants to examine our own hearts.

I know people tend to have a "down" on grace believers, but I think that not having members of the church- in a formal sense, is good. I believe many churches have memberships in order for unsaved people not to take communion unworthily, but if it is explained beforehand to people what communion is, I think it should be no problem.

I completely agree with all of this. In fact, I have no intention of attending any fellowship that has formal membership. It's a church, only God declares people "members" of His church. A church is not a country club.

 

[Albion]

In the OP, you asked us what our thoughts on this matter are. Did you ask that because you wanted to hear them? There doesn't seem to be much in the way of give and take or discussion following.

 

[BlackZeppelin]

In the OP, you asked us what our thoughts on this matter are. Did you ask that because you wanted to hear them? There doesn't seem to be much in the way of give and take or discussion following.

Yes, of course.