non attending members

Our policy's simple.

I once missed a couple of Sundays and got an e-mail from the pastor that said, "Don't make me come and get you, boy!"

If you miss one service, we assume you were sick. If you miss two, we assume you're really sick and give you a call.

If you miss three, then you get a visit from your circle leader (BTW, I always though "circles" were a Methodist thing. Do any other Baptists here have these?).

If you just miss habitually without excuse, then the preacher and a couple of his goombah's make a visit to your door.

Trust me, you don't want that.

I'm in kind of an interesting position in that I was friends with the preacher long before he was a pastor (I know where all the bodies are buried) so I can get away with a little more than your average parishoner, but I got busted blowing off church one day and I didn't think I'd ever hear the end of it.

Mike

 

Our members travel a good bit, so it's hard to keep up week-to-week. We're still small enough though that a significant absence is usually noticeable.

When I was a rural church pastor, though...

- Absent one week: you got a call or a visit from me to make sure that you were getting the medical treatment you clearly needed

- Absent two weeks: your name was added to the prayer list printed in the bulletin, because you were clearly very sick and in need of prayer



Joshua

 

It depends upon the member. For example if I miss it is assumed that I am working, especially since the wife and kids are in chruch to tell everyone I'm working. If Jeanne misses then the pastors wife will call right after chruch to see whats wrong. She does that because she knows we faithfully attend. That would be the common respose for the members who faithfully attend.

There are some members who come only occasionally. If they miss too many times (not sure exactly how many is too many) they will get a call/visit from the pastor.

If they quit comming altogether, Im not sure at what point they would/could be dropped from the membership.

Bill

 

I hate to say this but the church I attend really I guess feels like it is too big to keep up with everyone. If you are not a worker somehow such as a teacher, in the choir, musician etc you probably would not be missed.

Our roll is a lot larger than attendance. I don't know when if ever these people get removed unless they notify the church they are transfering membership

 

Basically the only way you get off my church roll is to move your letter, or die.

Many people have started going to one of the local non-denominational churches that does not have "members", so therefore unless they request that their name be dropped, it is on the roll for perpetuity. Others have moved, (way off), and have not moved their letter, so they are still on the roll. Still others just see no point in attending; some that I've never known & I've been in this church since 1967, but they are still on the roll.

This seems typical of the few Baptist churches that I've attended, few though they be.

I can accept that some follow-up should be done before dropping a person from the membership, but it seems to be the prevalent attitude that to drop for any other than the two listed reasons is condemning them to hell!?

[ April 24, 2002, 02:24 PM: Message edited by: just-want-peace ]

 

At the church I used to attend, if I missed one ot two Sundays, nothing would happen. I once missed 4 Sundays in a row. That brought a call from one of the elders. When I just stopped going altogether, it took about 6 weeks before the pastor paid a visit. I just politely informed him I would not be returning.

adam

[ April 24, 2002, 09:28 PM: Message edited by: HeDied4U ]

 

If a member does not attend our church, we sell their names to a nearby Methodist church.

We actually went through our records recently and personally contacted our members. Some didn't want to be called. Go figure.

 

This brings up another good topic. It's been pointed out that Baptist church rolls make Arthur Anderson and Enron look well managed. It's a shame.

Your church does not provide for discipline?