Not only has American church attendance been in decline in the past few decades, but so has church membership, accelerating in this century. In the not-so-distant past, churches had more members than attendees. But that switched at some point in the last several decades. I would venture to say that most churches now have more attendees than members. It’s not because attendance has necessarily increased, but because not nearly as many are willing to commit.
In our congregation, we’ve always had a declining membership in spite of attendance growth. Should that be a concern? Is it just a cultural thing with changing expectations about commitment, reflecting a broader societal aversion to affiliation in any organization? Is it due to heightened social anxiety? For some, it may come out of extreme introversion or a distaste for fellowship. A person can certainly remain anonymous & disconnected if he wants to, especially in larger congregations.
Is it an ignorance thing—a misunderstanding of its importance? Do Christians even know what church membership means? Our congregation has had many people over the years who assumed they were members even though they never formally sought membership.
Is it biblical, necessary, or helpful anymore? Some would argue no, & have done away with formal membership because every believer is automatically added to the “universal Church” (Acts 2:47, 1 Cor. 12:13). While Scripture doesn’t clearly command local church membership, it is certainly assumed as inherent in “being” the Church, which by its nature, is the family of God & the body of Christ. The Lord clearly never intended for faith to be only about believing, but also about belonging. And church wasn’t meant to be something just to “go” to—it’s not where we go, it’s who we are. We belong to Christ and to one another, so it’s not possible to function as a biblical Christian in isolation (Eph. 2:19, Rom. 12:5, 2 Cor. 8:5).
In today’s mobile & consumerist society, we have the phenomenon of “floating believers” who attend various churches, never putting down roots in any one place. In churches like ours, you don’t have to be a member to attend or participate in worship, communion, or groups. But making the decision to become a member is to publicly declare, “This is my church home, & I belong here.”
I often say that it’s like being a guest in someone’s home. You wouldn’t expect me to bring my own coffee & brownies. You supply them! You don’t expect me to straighten up your house. You don’t expect me to do anything—I’m a guest! But if I’m part of the family, then I help make the coffee, buy the brownies, & clean the house. I share in ownership of the household. Not everyone is willing to make these kinds of commitments, but that’s what a disciple does. We are the church & we exist to meet the needs of others, to reach our community, & beyond! We’re saying, “You can count on me to serve, sustain, & resource the church’s mission.”
Declaring that I desire to be a member of a church expresses that I agree with its core beliefs. It’s reassuring to stand shoulder to shoulder with fellow believers who stand for God’s truth. Members are expected to practice hospitality & to protect church unity by refusing to gossip or stir up dissension (Rom. 12:10, 13, Heb. 13:2, Eph. 4:2-3).
Membership is also the basis for receiving pastoral care. We bless our community as we’re able, but we’re responsible for helping with our church family’s needs. We’re not able to help everybody, but we do prioritize fellow members when requested for finances, hospital visits, counseling, funerals, & weddings (Gal. 6:10). We’re to be there for each other.
Church membership isn’t like joining a club, credit union, fraternity, or lodge, which brings perks & privileges. That’s why some don’t join a church—they don’t see the value in it. While there are some personal benefits, it’s not about what you get out of it. What takes you from being a church attender to a church member is committing yourself to a specific group of believers so that you can practice the “one-anothers” of the New Testament (love one another, build up one another, pray for one another, offer hospitality to one another, serve one another, carry each other’s burdens, & many others). And that costs you time, effort, & money, because now it’s not about “What can I get out of church?” It’s about “What can I contribute?”
To be a member of our congregation, a person must be a baptized believer in Christ who has taken our 1-hour Launch Point class & 1-hour new member orientation. Membership isn’t to be taken lightly—we have no interest in a person being a member in name only. But I encourage you to take that step if you haven’t yet.
Next week, I’ll continue this with more about church membership as it relates to governance.