Wednesday, February 15, 2006
The First Step
Writing at Together4theGospel, Mark Dever says
First point - church membership has to have some meaning, and it often doesn't. I know in most Presbyterian churches, at least PCUSA, the only differeence between a member and non-member is the ability to vote on corporate matters, a difference that often goes unenforced. I make this point for the most practical of reasons, if there is no distinction to membership, the church ends up being like public television, I mean after all, what does it really mean to be "a member" of your local PBS outlet? Now the church really is reduced to entertainment medium.
Second point - Leading within a church has got to mean something more than you are simply willing. Otherwise, we throw away any sense that the church has a cohesive theology, mission, and outlook. I have run into enough borderline stuff in churches to throw the dorrs open to any Tom, Dick, or Harry with a desire.
Like it not, scripture differentiates between the mature and the immature, those within the fellowship and those without. There is a way to acknowledge those thresholds without being legalistic, we need to find that and not just do away with the ideas altogether.
Related Tags: church, church membership, church leadership, Christian maturity, Christianity
Let me make myself unpopular. One of the reasons we (Capitol Hill Baptist Church) are called a cult is because we limit responsibility for ministry (from leading Bible studies, to being responsible for refreshments after church) to members of our congregation."Unpopular?" - not at this blog. Dever goes on to say what it takes to become a member at his church
We figure that we best serve the individuals wanting to minister by requiring them to give us their testimony before we allow them to represent us for others. We first want to know what they agree with or disagree with in what we believe (statement of faith) and how we intend to live (church covenant). We also would like to see some commitment to us as a congregation.I should think the presentation of a testimony as a minimum requirement. Too many maniline churches like mine make membership a matter of sitting through a presentation and a brief social meeting with the ruling board - "Session" as we Presbyterians call it.
First point - church membership has to have some meaning, and it often doesn't. I know in most Presbyterian churches, at least PCUSA, the only differeence between a member and non-member is the ability to vote on corporate matters, a difference that often goes unenforced. I make this point for the most practical of reasons, if there is no distinction to membership, the church ends up being like public television, I mean after all, what does it really mean to be "a member" of your local PBS outlet? Now the church really is reduced to entertainment medium.
Second point - Leading within a church has got to mean something more than you are simply willing. Otherwise, we throw away any sense that the church has a cohesive theology, mission, and outlook. I have run into enough borderline stuff in churches to throw the dorrs open to any Tom, Dick, or Harry with a desire.
Like it not, scripture differentiates between the mature and the immature, those within the fellowship and those without. There is a way to acknowledge those thresholds without being legalistic, we need to find that and not just do away with the ideas altogether.
Related Tags: church, church membership, church leadership, Christian maturity, Christianity
