What is Membership?

While church membership isn’t commanded in the Bible, it is certainly implied. The New Testament is filled with “one another” commands - for example, we are to bear one another’s burdens, to love one another, and submit to one another. This is describing a relationship and a commitment to a local body of believers which is best defined as church membership.

What are the benefits of membership?

Membership is about:

• belonging

  Members in good standing have a voice and a vote at all church business meetings. Only members are eligible to vote for and take up positions of leadership in the church.

• commitment

  Membership is about a commitment between the church and the individual member that goes both ways as they promise to mutually support and love one another.

• protection

  Membership means you have the support of the church to help you stand firm against sin, worldliness, and the devil's temptations, especially when you are tempted to drift away and need to be brought back to your senses.

Myths of Membership:

Myth 1: Membership makes me a Christian

Membership doesn’t make you a Christian, but only Christians can become members, along with their children. For this reason potential members are interviewed by the elders to share their story of how they came to know Christ.

Myth 2: Members must attend every business meeting in the church

Given that members ought to be involved in the vision and direction of the church, attendance of important church business meetings (such as the Annual General Meeting) is encouraged but not required of every member.

Myth 3: Membership is a strait jacket

Some people believe membership forces you to stay at one church only. But while membership encourages a stable commitment to the local church, members may feel the need to move to another church community, and are free to do so.

Myth 4: Membership means agreeing with everything the church stands for

While all members ought to familiarise themselves with the doctrines and practices of the church, members are not required to hold to the secondary issues such as baptism or teachings about the end times. The bar into membership should not be any higher than the bar into heaven!

Myth 5: Membership means the church will publically humiliate me if I sin

While members can fall under church discipline when they are living in unrepentant sin, this discipline usually takes place privately between them and the elders. Formal public church discipline is rare but necessary if after a reasonable time there is no evidence of repentance.