Requirements for Membership at Your Church

[Glory Bound]

What does your church require for membership? I noticed in another thread someone indicated a mandatory class prior to becoming a full member. This intrigues me, and I wonder what others have at their churches.

 

[john6:63]

Be saved (accepted Christ as their personal Saviour) and have been Baptized by submersion.

 

[donnA]

Originally posted by john6:63:
Be saved (accepted Christ as their personal Saviour) and have been Baptized by submersion.

This is all our current requirements also, but we are working on implementing a new members class and materials.

 

[Dr. Bob]

We have membership class - require:</font>

• testimony of salvation by faith alone</font>
• 6 group sessions led by pastor</font>
• read/agree constitution</font>
• read/agree doctrinal statement of faith</font>
• read basic believers text</font>
• baptism by immersion since salvation</font>
• upight living (not in open sin, immorality, etc)</font>
• read/agree with church covenant</font>
• private meeting with elders to verify above</font>
• public testimony to congregation</font>

 

[john6:63]

Originally posted by Dr. Bob Griffin:
We have membership class - require:</font>

• testimony of salvation by faith alone</font>
• 6 group sessions led by pastor</font>
• read/agree constitution</font>
• read/agree doctrinal statement of faith</font>
• read basic believers text</font>
• baptism by immersion since salvation</font>
• upight living (not in open sin, immorality, etc)</font>
• read/agree with church covenant</font>
• private meeting with elders to verify above</font>
• public testimony to congregation</font>

So how long does this process usually take for one to become a member of your church?

 

[USN2Pulpit]

Very similar to Dr.B's - with the exception of the six lessons. And it only takes a visit or two. The list may look long, but there's not a lot on it that truly takes a long time to do - that is unless the candidate has reservations after seeing the constitution/statement of faith/church covenant.

We would clarify that baptism by immersion would have been by a church of like faith and practice.

 

[john6:63]

Originally posted by USN2Pulpit:
We would clarify that baptism by immersion would have been by a church of like faith and practice.

So I, being saved when I was 8 and later being baptized by immersion by a Methodist preacher at age 24, wouldn’t disqualify me from becoming a member at your church would it?

 

[USN2Pulpit]

What did the baptism mean to you? For entry into the church? For your very salvation? Or as an act of obedience symbolic of the death and resurrection of Christ? Those are the reasons we say "like faith and practice."

 

[Dr. Bob]

Originally posted by john6:63:
So how long does this process usually take for one to become a member of your church?

6 weeks - we have 5 classes on Sunday night, 5-6pm. Then elders meet with each person during the next week. Final class, then testimony at service.

BTW, we would accept baptism from another church by immersion IF the church were like faith and practice, too.

 

[mioque]

"
* read/agree constitution
* read/agree doctrinal statement of faith
* read basic believers text
* read/agree with church covenant
"
That's a lot of paperwork!
We have condensed all that into 2 texts.

 

[Ben W]

At the Seventh Day Baptists you just show up a few times and you are one of the church

The church has a belief statement and it is assumed that all the members know what it is and are able to accept it.

 

[I Am Blessed 24]

Originally posted by john6:63:
Be saved (accepted Christ as their personal Saviour) and have been Baptized by submersion.

This is our church policy also, but there is counseling involved to make sure the person understands salvation...

 

[Glory Bound]

Originally posted by mioque:
"
* read/agree constitution
* read/agree doctrinal statement of faith
* read basic believers text
* read/agree with church covenant
"
That's a lot of paperwork!
We have condensed all that into 2 texts.

I'm not sure I understand the difference... can you further explain the "2 texts"?

 

[Glory Bound]

Originally posted by Dr. Bob Griffin:

6 weeks - we have 5 classes on Sunday night, 5-6pm. Then elders meet with each person during the next week. Final class, then testimony at service.
[/QB][/QUOTE]

What do you cover in these classes? Is there any difference between new Christians and those who've been Christians for quite some time?

 

[mioque]

"can you further explain the "2 texts"? "
""
Text 1 is basically what do we believe.
Text 2 contains the practical rules and regulations of being a member of our church.

 

[Trotter]

What does your church require for membership?

Very little.

Our church accepts members by one of three ways:
1. By statement of faith
2. By promise of letter of membership from a Baptist church
3. By baptism

So, basically, if you walk the aisle and say that you want to be a member, you can.

Like I said, very little, no where near enough.

In Christ,
Trotter

 

[WallyGator]

Would you believe that the average PDC church has much stricter membership requirements, sometimes taking up to a year to complete?

 

[john6:63]

I tend to shy away from a Church that warrants such strict requirements for Church membership.

Acts 2:41, Then they that gladly received his word were baptized: and the same day there were added unto them about three thousand souls.

That’s all you should have to do, accept Christ (receive His word) and be baptized. How many of these 3,000 souls had to meet with Peter 6 times….whew…Some of these membership requirements I've read thus far, I'd think my family and I were on trial...

 

[Glory Bound]

Originally posted by john6:63:
I tend to shy away from a Church that warrants such strict requirements for Church membership.

An interesting point. I wonder of those who have stricter requirements for membership find that some are put off by them? Yet at the same time I would suspect that these same churches have had success using these methods.

I can see wanting people to respect and understand the responsibility of membership. Virtually all of the churches I've been a part of over the years only go with the minimum of statement of faith and baptism, and I wonder sometimes if a somewhat more strict membership requirement would prompt folks to be more committed.

Anyone care to offer pros and cons of stricter membership requirements based on your experiences?

 

[superdave]

The philosophy of our church encourages committed involved members

Membership requires

1. Salvation (clear testimony given)
2. Baptism by immersion (church of like faith)
3. Not under Church Discipline in another body
4. One Session class - philosophy and doctrine taught by the church, you don't want there to be any surprises later, you'd be surprised how many people join a church without bothering to find out if there is agreement
BTW, the name of the class is a Commitment to Membership
5. Agreement with Statement of Faith, Constitution, etc.