Membership: Common Objections

As I wrap up this three-part series on membership, I want to do what I can to head off some objections at the pass. I am aware that many Christians have simply never given much thought to membership or heard a helpful presentation of it. I understand that! Others have know about membership for years and, for various reasons, refuse to embrace it. Below is a short list of the reasons I have personally heard vocalized about membership. I hope I answer them to your satisfaction. As always, I’m eager to discuss these things in person.
My responses will be admittedly brief simply because I believe these objections are easily answered.  

This reason has my greatest sympathy, though I ultimately do not believe it’s a good reason to keep the church at arm’s length. I understand that people who are discerning, after leaving a church, normally have a lot of heartache and are cautious about attaching themselves to another body. For this reason, they usually take their time so that they can be as sure as possible about their decision. I get that! Those people aren't in view here. Who is in view here is the individual/couple who uses past hurt as a perpetual defense against ever committing to a church again.

I understand that hurt really does happen, and it sometimes happens under the umbrella of a local church. Any time people are involved, there is room for error, and we often step on toes, hurt feelings, and neglect our brothers and sisters. I have been on both the giving and receiving end of this!

However, it is a logical fallacy to conclude that being hurt in a church previously necessitates abandoning the project altogether. Getting food poisoning once doesn’t mean you swear off all food. The bottom line with the local church is that it is God’s good idea, and he says it is worth the effort. My call to the one who has previously been hurt is to be open about it, ask God to minister to you, and get back on the proverbial horse (with a bit more wisdom and experience this time round). Hopefully you can be a help and aid to help the church guard against the same sins that were previously committed against you.

I would argue with this statement on its face. Membership is a natural conclusion from biblical study. It wasn’t born separate from God’s special revelation in the Bible. Rather, it is a good and natural conclusion made from the Scriptures. I would recommend you read and interact with the first two articles in this short series to understand what I mean. As Hebrews 13:17 demonstrates, Scripture requires that we quantify who is leading a church and who are the ones following the leaders. How is this possible without some kind of formal mechanism?

I have heard folks say that they are already members of the church without going through the formal process. “After all, I’ve been coming here for years! I participate when I can. I give some of my money most weeks. That makes me a member, doesn’t it?” This sort of argumentation sounds a lot like "Marriage is just a piece of paper," doesn't it?

If that’s your stance, I would want to point out that you really haven’t rejected the idea of membership. You’ve simply redefined it according to your own standards and not the standards put out by the church leaders (the same leaders the Bible says you ought to be following and submitting to, for the record).

This statement is confusing to me. Wrapped up in membership are things like intentional accountability, expected submission to the doctrine and practice of the church, and an eager participation in taking ownership of a local body and local mission. How could entering into those things not help someone have a closer walk with God?

Very plainly, no, they don’t. Not here, anyway. If there is a church that gets its kicks from formal discipline, I would look for fellowship elsewhere. I have only been in pastoral ministry for ten years. In that decade, I have been actively involved in only two cases of formal church discipline. One of those situations resulted in my removing one of my best friends from our local fellowship and letting him know he was not welcome at the Lord’s Table until he repented. I haven’t heard from him since. It was one of the hardest things I’ve ever done in ministry.

So please don’t buy into the notion that church leaders are eager to enter into formal disciplinary procedures. It is not fun. Discipline that results in removing a person is a good and necessary tool when needed, and I’m grateful God gave us those tools in his Word (Mat. 18; 1 Cor. 5), but those moments are approached with sobriety and usually sorrow.

Of course, anyone is welcome to attend our Sunday Services and even our Home Groups, and some folks do that without joining the church. Here’s the problem: the problem is that the church members’ relationship with that uncommitted person can only go so far as long as a formal standard of belonging and accountability is resisted. There will naturally be limitations in trust and participation. If you are wanting to be a meaningful part of Bayview Bible Church, but you are not willing to submit to the processes and expectations that have been laid out before you, just know that you are limiting yourself.

Most things that are truly good are rarely easy. Marriage is good, but difficult, for example. Membership is the same way. It takes effort. It requires humility, patience, understanding, and often forgiveness. The question I want to leave you with is not “Is membership easy,” but rather, “Is membership good?” If it is good, let’s link arms and pursue it heartily.