Church Membership

“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

“you can inadvertently create a vibe that suggests the work of membership is somehow ‘less than’ the work of elders. That’s a tragedy.” - 9 Marks

“Church membership makes sense of a Christian’s obligation to other Christians…. Church membership makes sense of a Christian’s obligation to his spiritual leaders…. Church membership makes sense of a pastor’s obligation to his church.” - Challies

“I demanded answers. This pastor needed to explain himself. Thankfully, he was happy to oblige and began to unpack his statement, and I was eager to listen.” - 9 Marks