Church membership could be considered a relic of a bygone age. Many churches today have abandoned the idea and opted for a more informal association where those who attend a fellowship for any length of time are considered part of the church. This article seeks to demonstrate the case for membership from the Scripture. It is true that the way we do membership—membership class, elder interview, etc—is not explicit in Scripture but these are ways in which we seek to apply the principles taught in Scripture. Church membership in the local church rests upon the application of several principles that we see in the New Testament.
Body of Evidence
The following on several texts that help us understand the nature of the church and its members.
1. The Language of Members
Romans 12:5 and 1 Corinthians 12:14–27 speak of the church as a body consisting of many members (body parts). Membership, therefore, is a metaphor for how the church works with every person serving one another and meaningfully connected.
How do people become “members” of Christ’s body? People are added to the church as they repent of their sin and believe in Jesus and the gospel. In doing so, they enter a covenant with God and with one another. The Bible is then explicit that growth in Christ is a group project, requiring leaders who teach the word, and every member of the body serving one another in love (Ephesians 4:11–16).
2. Insiders and Outsiders
The New Testament bears witness that there are some inside the church and others outside it. Those on the inside are marked by baptism and a new life in Christ (Romans 6:3–4). This unity together in Christ is celebrated over a weekly meal called the Lord’s Supper (1 Corinthians 11:17–34).
Those who call themselves a brother but live a life of sin are chastened or removed from the body if there is no repentance (1 Corinthians 5:12–13; Matthew 18:15–17).
Therefore, the church knew who was in and who was out. They knew who was under discipline and who was a member in good standing. They knew who the “members” of the body were and were not.
3. Shepherds and Sheep
The New Testament commands us to imitate our leaders (Hebrews 13:7), submitting to them and obeying them (Hebrews 13:17). Christians are to respect those leaders who labor among them (1 Thessalonians 5:12–13). Using the metaphor of shepherd for elders and the flock for the church, Peter calls elders to be good shepherds of God’s flock (1 Peter 5:1–5). In these texts—and many others—there is an intimate relationship between shepherds and the flock. Shepherds should smell like sheep and the sheep should recognize their shepherds’ voice.
Therefore, people in the church need to know who their leaders are if they are to follow their example and obey them. Leaders need to know who is in their care because they will give an account to God (Acts 20:28). Membership formalizes this relationship so that there is clarity on this relationship between shepherds and sheep. Would it not be appropriate for elders to have a list of sheep (members) in the flock so that they do not neglect to pray for them?
4. The Majority and Member Lists in the New Testament
In the primitive New Testament church there was an identifiable number of believers. In 2 Corinthians 2:6, Paul speaks about the majority not allowing a repentant brother to return to full communion. Certainly, he doesn’t just mean the majority of those who gathered on a Sunday for worship. He is referring to the majority of the members of the church, covenanted together under leaders and serving Christ and one another.
In 1 Timothy 5:9–12 we have a list of widows that the church would provide for. Paul uses the language of enrolling or “put on the list” to refer to these widows that qualified to be supported by the church. If there was a set of requirements for widows to be put on a list, would it not also be appropriate for a set of requirements to put others on a membership list? The fact that the early church had lists of members and spoke about the majority lays a foundational principle for membership today.
Working This Out
Now, the question is, how are we faithful to follow this pattern? Is it just those in attendance that are the members? Is it someone who has attended one month? Can someone self-identify as a member? Are the elders involved in the process? Do the other members have a say?
These questions help us sort out how to apply the principles above practically in our context today. It is safe to say that attendance alone does not make on a member. Outsiders or unbelievers can attend for months, even years but they are not a member of the body of Christ. A member is a born-again believer who trusts the triune God, believes in the lordship of Christ, and has been justified by faith. A member also needs to be received by the elders and the rest of the congregation such that there is a shared covenant or agreement that they are in fellowship together with Christ as their head.
As these principles are applied, churches formalize the process and make the covenant explicit. Some churches require baptism or have a statement of faith that expresses what the elders teach or what members should believe about the core teachings of the Bible. Even if a church does not write down their statement of faith, they have one. Every church has a belief about what makes one a Christian and who constitutes the church. I think it best to have this written down so it’s clear, subject to scrutiny, and so that there are no surprises.
To be certain, statements or confessions of faith are not in the Bible or above the Bible. But they are useful to use in formalizing or setting boundaries for the family of faith. They express what we believe the Bible says and puts it on paper so others can see what we believe.
These are tools that help us formalize the visible, local church with order and clarity and fulfill the principles outlined above.
The Example of Marriage
Consider the covenant of marriage. Is marriage biblical? Of course it is! We see it in the opening chapters of the Bible. For marriages today we have a marriage license, witnesses, and an officiant who oversees a wedding. We have the father give the bride and the new couple shares rings and vows. None of this “formality” or ritual is explicit in the Bible. Yet marriage is biblical, and the circumstances of marriage (license, rings, ceremony) are practical applications of the biblical principles concerning marriage. These practicalities are an overflow of the covenant of marriage we see taught in Scripture. We no longer pass a sandal or put a hand under the thigh (Ruth 4), but we say, “I do,” exchange rings, make vows, and pronounce them husband and wife.
Likewise, church membership may look a bit different in different contexts, but it is based on the same principles of membership seen in Scripture. Church membership is a covenant. The church is a family of faith agreeing to follow Christ together in community. This covenant is expressed in membership “vows” which typically involve a statement of faith and a statement of practice with the elders presiding.
Why the formality of lists, statements of faith, membership classes, or interviews? Like a wedding ceremony, these are pastoral applications of the principles taught in Scripture.
Conclusion
Perhaps you remain unconvinced or skeptical of church membership. We do live in a individualistic age and many have been hurt in the church and have lost faith in membership. But consider Hebrews 13:17 which says, “Obey your leaders and submit to them, for they are keeping watch over your souls, as those who will have to give an account. Let them do this with joy and not with groaning, for that would be of no advantage to you.”
This passage calls you to submit to your leaders in the church. If church leaders require a formal expression of a membership covenant and are not requiring you to sin, then your submission to them involves following the membership process. They are seeking to faithfully follow the principles of Scripture and you would do well to honor that desire and commit yourself into their care as you serve the body in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.
—Tim Stephens