Church Membership

“Jesus died for a people (see Mark 10:45). He saves us as individuals, and he saves us into a people. Salvation includes a family.” - 9 Marks

“Testimonies like Ben’s remind us why having a biblical doctrine of conversion is so crucial when it comes to the church’s responsibility to affirm new members as believers.

“1. Can This Young Person Count the Cost of a Life of Following Jesus?… 2. Can This Young Person Fulfill the Responsibilities the New Testament Gives to Church Members?… 3.

“Doing membership interviews is one of my favorite parts of being a pastor…. we ask folks to tell us about their baptism so we can make sure they’ve truly been baptized. Of course, most baptism stories are pretty ordinary: ‘I heard the gospel, believed, and was baptized by a local church.’ But some stories are bizarre or even baffling.” - 9 Marks

“If the first step of Christian obedience is to be baptized, wouldn’t delaying baptism be an act of disobedience? I don’t think so. In fact, I’d argue there are at least four reasons why it’s wise to examine a baptismal candidate before baptizing them.” - 9 Marks

“This pattern occurs not only in Acts 2 at the formation of the church but also in the primary place we receive detailed instructions on the Lord’s Supper—Paul’s first letter to the Corinthians.” - 9 Marks

“Though it’s not a perfect analogy, we might think of citizenship (a thing), a birth certificate (an entry sign of the thing), and a passport (an ongoing sign of the thing). Or think of membership on a team, signing the contract, and wearing the jersey.” - 9 Marks

“Regardless whether a church calls it ‘membership’ or ‘partnership,’ here are a few reasons why, if you’re a Christian, you should join yourself to a gospel-believing local church.” - 9 Marks

“Thus follows a story about why and how we removed seven of our 65 members and identified them as missionaries instead.” - 9 Marks

“I’m writing to anyone who already assumes congregationalism. With that in mind, how does voting on members protect the gospel?” - 9 Marks