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Should minor positions...

Discussion in 'General Baptist Discussions' started by Salty, Jan 20, 2008.

  1. Salty

    Salty 20,000 Posts Club
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    Should church membership be required for all positions.

    Examples would be: plaing the piano, working in the nursery, taking the offering?

    Suppose they insist on helping...

    other thoughts

    Salty
     
  2. Aaron

    Aaron Member
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    Yes, these positions should be filled by members only. The reason being, if membership is properly understood, those who refuse membership are not willing to submit to the authority of the body, or have a fundamental disagreement with the doctrines being preached. Whether it's a character issue, or a doctrinal issue, neither one speaks well of the qualification of the office holder.
     
  3. The Scribe

    The Scribe New Member

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    If someone is going to work for a church then yes they need to attend and be a member of that church.
     
  4. annsni

    annsni Well-Known Member
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    Amen. If one feels that a church is worthy of working for, then they are worthy of joining. I think everyone working for a church - even just cleaning the toilets - should be a member of that church. (And I'm not saying that cleaning the toilets is a lowly job because the man that does that at our church is the greatest servant I've ever seen. He's led many to the Lord just through that servant's heart. )
     
  5. StefanM

    StefanM Well-Known Member
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    I could see a valid situation in which one might not be a member.

    A pastor's wife might work in another church's daycare during the week.
     
  6. thomas15

    thomas15 Well-Known Member

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    You all have just talked me out of joining the Church that we have been attending. I don't want to work for the church, I just want to serve the Lord.
     
  7. mcdirector

    mcdirector Active Member

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    Thomas, you aren't working you are serving. I think the example that Stefan gave is ok, because that is of a paid employee - the rest are volunteer or frequently are. Sometimes the pianist and organist are paid because of the hours needed for practice.

    I think they should be church members. I do think sometimes we have to enlist non-members into service - like snowstorms when only a few folks are there.
     
  8. Sopranette

    Sopranette New Member

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    They go hand in hand. Personally, when I leave my very young children in the Nursery, I feel better that it is run by people who have been selected for that position, not just someone off the street.

    love,

    Sopranette
     
  9. Timsings

    Timsings Member
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    We have a number of spouses who attend our services but have not actually joined. Most are affiliated with other denominations. Several are Catholic. Several have been attending for decades. They are not eligible to be deacons or to teach SS. Some help with the children's music activities. They make valuable contributions to our church, and we are glad to have them on those terms.

    Tim Reynolds
     
  10. billreber

    billreber New Member

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    I was a member of a very small church a few years ago (12 members), and we did not have any musicians in the church. We advertised at a nearby college, and hired someone to play the piano for us.

    We did not require them to become a member first, but instead befriended them and preached to them about our Lord Jesus. They never became a member, but DID hear about Jesus.

    Other positions, other situations, and other churches, require church membership. That one did not.

    BTW, do you think we should allow non-members to enter our facilities during the week (not during a scheduled service or teaching time) for the specific reason of praying for our church? I think I will start another thread.

    Bill:godisgood:
     
  11. preachinjesus

    preachinjesus Well-Known Member
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    Maybe one of the first things we need to cover is what we understand as church membership.

    As an assimilation guy that means drastically different things from congregation to congregation. :)
     
  12. youngmom4

    youngmom4 New Member

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    Amen to that! Our previous church had paid nursery workers who were not church members. My daughter screamed every time we dropped her off in the nursery. Once we switched to our current church, where the pastor's wife and (adult) daughter do the nursery every week, my daughter rarely cries about going into the nursery anymore. Never again will I leave her with a paid worker that is not a member of the church! :thumbs:
     
  13. donnA

    donnA Active Member

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    I think most churches aren't going to just grab someone off the street to baby sit. Bad things do happen with church members around children also.
     
  14. rbell

    rbell Active Member

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    Hmmm...

    I guess my issue would be the idea of "minor roles" and what constitutes one.

    IMO, working in the nursery is about as far from a "minor role" as one can get. You are caring for people's most prized "possessions." And furthermore, you're showing, teaching, and sharing God's love with those little ones.

    There are other duties that we do allow non-members to do. Our youth take up offering on Sunday nights. We do allow non-member youth to help with that (don't worry...they don't get to count it!) We have 3-4 people who put the letters on our church marquee. (We tell them what to put). One of them isn't a member yet.

    For us, there are many, many duties only church members can do:
    • Teach--Bible study, any discipleship course, etc.
    • lead in worship
    • Serve on our ministry teams
    • Be a deacon
    • Many others (not an exhaustive list).
    However, we have other jobs that we will allow non-members to do...it is our hope that they will build relationships through these tasks, and come to know God, and unite with our church.

    Your mileage may vary.
     
  15. youngmom4

    youngmom4 New Member

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    I'm not suggesting that any church would "just grab someone off the street" to babysit...least of all my previous church. The pastor of that church takes his responsibility to the kids seriously, to the point that the church runs background checks on anyone who wants to work with kids, even if they are a churchmember. I'm just saying that if they are not a member of the church, there is not a high likelihood that they are saved because if they were, they would be in their own church during the worship hour on Sunday morning, especially in a small town like mine where you don't have alternatives like Saturday evening services. I much prefer my children to be with church members who have a heart for children and will spend the time singing worship songs or telling Bible stories. :thumbs:
     
  16. Crabtownboy

    Crabtownboy Well-Known Member
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    Brought to a salvation

    Two women who were not Christian and thus not members of our church were hired to care for the children in our nursery. Both were nursery workers during the week. Both were brough to a saving knowledge of Christ by the little ones. We are a small church so "nursery" meant children up to about six years of age.
     
  17. EdSutton

    EdSutton New Member

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    Welcome to the Baptist Board, from a KY redneck! (The real kind, not the 'store-bought' variety.):wavey:

    Ed
     
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