Common law membership

[donnA]

Our old church was smaller then our current church and everyone knew who the members were, everyone made it a point to be that acquainted with everyone else, it's the only way you know who your visitors are.

 

[Jerome]

So if the church records are lost, and no one has a distinct memory of the exact meeting decades ago when you were voted in as a member, you could still be a member of the church?

Why?

Just because you say you became a member, have done what a member does for so long, and so many others know you to be a member? Is that really enough?

 

[donnA]

Is that what I said? No it isn't.
So you mean to tell me you have no idea who the members of your church are? This is how little you know about the people in your church that you have no idea whose a member there? This is all the involvement in the lives of the members of your church that you have that you have no idea whose a member there? This is all the involvement you have with your church that you have no idea whose a member there?
I guess we're just a closer knit bunch of christians then most are I supose. Because we know each other.

 

[Jerome]

Of course I have a very good idea of who the members of my church are. Some I can remember voting on, others were members before I was even born. For the latter, I know they are members by reputation: I have never personally inspected the church minutes from decades ago, but I know by their and others' words and and actions that they are indeed members.:thumbs:

 

[annsni]

Is that what I said? No it isn't.
So you mean to tell me you have no idea who the members of your church are? This is how little you know about the people in your church that you have no idea whose a member there? This is all the involvement in the lives of the members of your church that you have that you have no idea whose a member there? This is all the involvement you have with your church that you have no idea whose a member there?
I guess we're just a closer knit bunch of christians then most are I supose. Because we know each other.

Our church has a regular attendance of 800. I don't even know everybody but I do know the vast majority. I don't know who are and who are not members because we don't wear a special bracelet or not to show we are. My own two daughters are not yet members. They want to join but must take the new members class and have not had the opportunity just yet due to work. But I see a group of 100 people that I know dearly, I don't separate them into members and non-members. I just know them as friends and brothers and sisters in Christ.

 

[Salty]

We are getting off subject. It doesn't matter if you only know 100 out of 800 members or 3 of of 15 members. ''
Or how big is too big. So I have started a new thread on that.

The point is: should we officially vote individuals into our church membership, or is just regular attendance sufficient to be thought of as a member?

and now back to our regular scheduled OP

 

[rsr]

To be a member, you must have some sort of covenant relationship with the assembly. Without that relationship there can be no church discipline and you really don't have a church; you have a series of Gospel meetings.

 

[Jerome]

How about this:
Reformed Baptist Church Constitution http://ncbf.net/

THE CONSTITUTION OF
NEW COVENANT BIBLE FELLOWSHIP

NAME
The name of this fellowship of believers is New Covenant Bible Fellowship and is a NEW COVENANT REFORMED BAPTIST CHURCH.

PURPOSE
The purpose of New Covenant Bible Fellowship is to build up the believer in the Faith so that he will be able to function as a believer/priest in the body of Christ, and as an ambassador for the King of Kings to the world.

GOVERNMENT
1. The Fellowship shall be guided in all matters by the Elders.
2. The Elders shall have the final say in all matters pertaining to the Fellowship.
3. Elders shall be chosen by the then existing Elders.
4. The term of an Elder is for life, unless he removes himself or is removed by his fellow Elders.
5. An Elder may be removed by a majority decision of the existing Elders.
6. The Deacon is an Elders’ helper.
7. Deacons shall be appointed by the Elders as the Elders deem necessary.
8. Deacons shall serve for as long as the Elders deem necessary.

MEMBERSHIP
1. New Covenant Bible Fellowship has no formal membership.
2. One is viewed by the Elders as being an informal member when he has fulfilled the following
requirements:
A. He attends New Covenant Bible Fellowship.
B. He seems to have a genuine profession of faith.
C. He gives evidence of desiring to be a part of the life of the Fellowship.
D. He calls New Covenant Bible Fellowship his church home.
3. One will not be asked to be involved in the ministry of the Fellowship if he has not fulfilled the informal membership requirements.

CHURCH DISCIPLINE
New Covenant Bible Fellowship recognizes its need to exercise Biblical discipline to bring professed believers caught in sin to repentance and restoration, and to protect the purity of the Fellowship. This discipline will be administered according to the guidelines of the Word of God.
Matthew 18:15-17, 1 Corinthians 5:1-13, 2 Thessalonians 3:6-15, Titus 3:9-11

AMENDING THE CONSTITUTION
The constitution may by amended by the decision of the Elders.

 

[Tom Butler]

3. One will not be asked to be involved in the ministry of the Fellowship if he has not fulfilled the informal membership requirements

Looks like a matter of semantics to me. They have no formal membership, but they have informal members, and actual requirements to meet before one can be an "informal" member.

Sorta like the story I heard about Abe Lincoln, who asked someone, if a cow has four legs, and you designate the tail as a leg, how many legs does it now have.

"Five."

"No, you still have four," Lincoln said. "Calling a tail a leg doesn't make it so."

I wonder if that church has a list of its informal members.

 

[rsr]

Lack of formal membership would be the least of my objections to that covenant, which is about the least Baptistic governing document I've ever seen.

Even Augustine had to be elected by the congregation before he could be consecrated as bishop.

 

[donnA]

Of course I have a very good idea of who the members of my church are. Some I can remember voting on, others were members before I was even born. For the latter, I know they are members by reputation: I have never personally inspected the church minutes from decades ago, but I know by their and others' words and and actions that they are indeed members.:thumbs:

there you go, proves my point

 

[donnA]

Our church has a regular attendance of 800. I don't even know everybody but I do know the vast majority. I don't know who are and who are not members because we don't wear a special bracelet or not to show we are. My own two daughters are not yet members. They want to join but must take the new members class and have not had the opportunity just yet due to work. But I see a group of 100 people that I know dearly, I don't separate them into members and non-members. I just know them as friends and brothers and sisters in Christ.

I did say the activemembership was 150. (which I specified because I knew your church was much larger) If you had only 150 woudn't you know who was who?

 

[Aaron]

there you go, proves my point

You're point is that the essence of membership rests in a legislative decree. His point is that membership rests in the heart.

 

[donnA]

nope sorry, my point was, smaller churches, like the 150 active membership know each other and know whose a member and whose not. That was my pont.

 

[Aaron]

Yes, and by a member you mean one that was voted on and who is on the role. The others are attempting to tell you that membership is something other than a role, and that members would be known by their hearts if a fire destroyed the church documents.

 

[donnA]

no it was said if you didn't have the documents you wouldn't know your members. I said we'd know ours.

 

[JohnDeereFan]

MEMBERSHIP
1. New Covenant Bible Fellowship has no formal membership....

...New Covenant Bible Fellowship recognizes its need to exercise Biblical discipline to bring professed believers caught in sin to repentance and restoration, and to protect the purity of the Fellowship.

How do you fellowship people who aren't members?

By the way, anybody seen Paul Wassona lately?

 

[Batt4Christ]

Most Baptist churches require some sort of screening before joining. It could be at a minimum a promise of letter, talking with the deacons, attending a new members class and so forth.

What is your opinion of a church, that basically says as long as you attend faithfully and are active, you are a member.

I remember down South where the motto of a local Church of God was "Salvation makes you a member"

Thoughts?

Salty

Many believed and were added to the church... Sounds like two events.

 

[freeatlast]

Most Baptist churches require some sort of screening before joining. It could be at a minimum a promise of letter, talking with the deacons, attending a new members class and so forth.

What is your opinion of a church, that basically says as long as you attend faithfully and are active, you are a member.

I remember down South where the motto of a local Church of God was "Salvation makes you a member"

Thoughts?

Salty

In this area I know of no Baptist church that screens potential members. A person can come on noting more then a statement of faith and be accepted. While there may be some that offer a new member class I don't know of any in the area (100 mile radius) that requires it for membership.