Featured Should We Require New Church Members

I think it's a great idea, but we need to differentiate between joining a local church as the OP said and joining the Body of Christ. The latter happens once upon conversion, the former may happen dozens of times throughout ones life.

At my church we have a 4 week new members class which takes the place of Bible Study/Sunday school on Sunday mornings after worship. The course goes through the history of our particular local church, the basics of doctrine and theology. It's also a good opportunity for the pastor/elder (whoever is doing the course that time) to see if there is evidence of genuine conversion. (Yes of course you can't know 100% from 4 hours of interaction, but it is better than just taking someones word for it.)

 

I can't speak for other churches, but our New Members Class is a four-week survey of the Bible and what it says about God, Christ, the Holy Spirit, salvation, service, etc., and how our church sees those things defining our ministry to the community and to the world. It isn't a requirement for anything, and is offered after they have asked to join, either as a new believer or as a transfer of letter or statement of faith.

 

The Apostle Paul would likely disagree with you. Reading any of his epistles reveals a whole list of "do's" as well as "don'ts" for the members of the local churches that he wrote to. A new member's class is simply a way to teach those responsibilities. Most church members live as if they belong to a country club rather than a church.

But if any church chooses not to have one, that's cool by me. But in our church, we will.

 

Out of curiousity, have you ever read the Didache?

While scripture is our authority, the Didache shows that church membership was not nearly as easy as it is today.

I was once made a member of a church because I showed up three Sundays in a row.

Do you believe somebody should have a Biblical salvation testimony before they can join a church? If so, then you do agree with us that there should be requirements for membership. You just disagree about what those requirements are.

 

I think the problem comes when it is a requirement for a member.

I would also hesitate to equate "bells and whistles" added my men in modern churches, to things that were penned by the Apostle Paul and later included as God's spoken word.

 

It's not a problem for our church. That's just the way it will be here.

Why should we consider a "New member's class" as a "bell and whistle" any more than the other "man-made" things such as Sunday School?

 

I don't consider it different than that. I would have a problem if Sunday School attendance were required for membership at the local church also

 

Mexdeaf

I don't disagree at all with what Paul says in Scripture. He's speaking to what Christians in the church should be doing. He has not set up a requirement to become a member.

 

The bolded is actually scriptural.

Acts 2

This was already shared.

Salvation, baptism, added to the church.

 

Also, the bolded indicates a bad counting job, or a lack of concern with keeping a membership log in the local church.

 

I have not.

I would imagine that maintaining membership was more difficult than it is today. I just don't think the BIBLICAL case can be made for requirng something like a member's class in order to join the church.

I agree that there is an inherent BIBLICAL requirement to become part of a fellowship that rests with salvation. But that again centers around what GOD requires before you can be adopted into the family. It DOES NOT open the door for a list of manmade requirements to become a member of a local fellowship.

 

Sunday School is not a requirement for membership , at least not in any Baptist church that I know of. It is recommended, especially in larger churches as a way of makin the church not so big while surrounding the member with a smaller church family.

 

But there are requirements to maintain membership, are there not?

As I see it, a NMC is simply a way of putting the requirements for membership upfront and is a preventive measure.

 

I agree, but my point was that a NMC is no more or less scriptural than SS.

 

So should tithing.
So should teaching your kids to dress modestly.
There's probably a long list that I'm sure we would like to see. :laugh:

But GOD has not set them. ANd it is wise to ALWAYS go with God.:flower:

 

Modern day church memberships are usually part of a church constitution that is liable to be filled with man made requirements for the membership, this is true.

 

Please explain this further. How do you differentiate "modern day church memberships" from "Non-modern day memberships"? I'm not being sarcastic.

Thank you.

 

I think Scripture makes it quite clear training and indoctrination comes after joining, as in Act 2 41-47