It seemed like a normal service. The choir sang. The pastor preached. The invitation was given. A couple in their mid-20s came forward asking to transfer their membership from a nearby sister church. After the couple were presented to the congregation, the young man asked to say a word. The pastor handed the microphone to the young man and listened as the fellow announced that because the church was experiencing difficulty in the fellowship, he and his wife had decided to join the church in order to “fight” for the pastor.
That statement was not well received by the congregation. When the pastor asked for a show of hands to receive the couple as new members, the majority voted “no.” The church refused to receive them. Several families were heard saying that joining a church is supposed to be more than “coming to fight.”
Another church had the most attractive sanctuary in the area. It was a popular site for weddings, not just for church members but for the whole community. But the number of weddings taxed the facilities and the staff. The church voted to up the costs for all weddings but increased the costs for nonmembers substantially.
Not long afterward, a mother approached the pastor about scheduling the church for the wedding of her daughter. The family was not a member of the church and, in fact, was not active in any church. The pastor probed the family’s spiritual relationships and was told flatly that the family had no interest in spiritual matters. It only wanted to use the church building for the wedding.
The pastor explained the wedding costs to the mother and gave her a printed list of the costs. The mother was taken aback at the charges and said so. Somewhere in the conversation, the pastor indicated that the cost list was for nonmembers and that members paid a lesser amount.
The next Sunday, the mother was in church. She was not accompanied by her husband, her daughter or any other family member. When the invitation was given, she came forward asking for membership. The pastor had an uneasy feeling that the lady was more interested in lowering the costs for the wedding than becoming a part of a congregation. His fears proved true. As soon as the wedding was over, the mother stopped attending. A report came back that she had told a friend about an easy way to cut the cost of a wedding at this particular church.
That people join a church for other than spiritual reasons has long been acknowledged. In this political season, some churches will see political candidates that have not been in a worship setting since the last election. That some people identify with a particular church because “it is good for business” has long been recognized. Others join because of family tradition or other reasons. The list is long.
No Baptist church wants such members. The gospel is too important for such trivia. The eternal destiny of a human soul is in the balance. Churches want members who have established a personal relationship with God through faith in the atoning death of Jesus Christ on Calvary’s cross.
Churches want members who not only share a common faith but who are committed to a common cause — the kingdom of God. A generation ago, that desire was expressed through the church covenant in which church members made personal commitments, accepted corporate responsibilities and defined ways they would work together through the church to advance God’s Kingdom.
Today churches make little use of a church covenant. In fact, a growing number of churches do not even act to accept members. The initiative is with the individual. Anyone who presents himself or herself for membership is automatically received.
Rationale for this position relates to the inability of anyone to know the spiritual motivation of another. Some pastors have said they do not want to be “security guards” or be in a position of “trying to keep people away from Jesus,” and voting on membership conveys that image.
Most Baptist churches today do vote in some way, usually at the time an individual presents himself or herself for membership. It is mostly a perfunctory act.
A few churches do more. Some visit the individual seeking membership and explain the meaning of church membership, the focus of the particular congregation and the expectations of members. Only after one has been presented with this information and agreed to it is that individual presented for church membership, usually at a church business meeting.
Some churches have formalized new member classes one must complete before one actually becomes a member.
Usually these include an introduction to basic beliefs of the church as well as information on how the church functions and what is expected of members.
A variety of approaches are being tried to emphasize the importance of church membership and what it conveys about one’s spiritual relationship with God. Still the vast majority of Baptist churches accept anyone presenting himself or herself for membership at that time.
Whatever approach a church uses, membership should not be taken lightly. The individual’s relationship to God through faith in Jesus Christ must always be the foundation. And there is more. The work of the church and the welfare of the church demand that a new member be more than one “coming to fight” or one looking to cut the cost of a wedding.
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