Church "Letter"?

What information do you include in your Church membership transfer request letters?

 

After a few weeks 2-4 we call

we call again

after 2 months we send a letter

after another month a letter asking for a meeting at a mutual time

another month a final letter is sent

another month BOOM

 

For people in good standing we send a good letter

for people who have been dismissed.

we send the, we are sorry but they have not been an active member here since ……

 

Do you include baptism date, etc.

 

No

 

I think that kind of stuff still happens. I know there is one church on our county that sends bad letters of recommendation to other local churches.
Like "He is a member here, but we have not seen him in two years."

 

I wonder if some independent Baptist churches presently send any requests for a church letter or answer any requests for a church letter. These churches do not mention or state whether people joining the church are joining by letter from another church or by statement of faith, and they do not have any monthly business meetings where they could vote on granting letters to those who join other churches. Some churches do not seem to have any church clerk who could be responsible for such matters.

 

Depends on who you ask. The real old timers say it's to document Baptism.

 

I think it's an old southern thing in areas where Baptist has more to do with dunking than any of the other Baptist distinctives.