Membership | Christian Library

Forty Reasons to Be Part of a Local Church

This article shows how often from the New Testament the command appears to live in some sense with other believers. These are all reasons for a Christian to have membership in a local church.

Adding to the Church during the Early American Period

This article is a historical study of how the New England church in America dealt with issues like the determining of membership after a person or persons came forward as converts. There were a set of rules and procedures that had to be laid down at that time to determine whether one was genuinely a member of Christ's body or not.

Jesus Loves His Church, So You Should Too

Who needs the local church when I can access sermons online? This article gets to the heart of the problem of thinking one does not need membership in the church. The church is the bride of Christ, and its very foundation is built upon the triune God. The Lord Jesus calls us to unity, which requires self-sacrifice.

The Communion of Saints

Public profession of faith means one is ready and willing to take on the full responsibility of church membership. This article defines what the church is in terms of the communion of saints, and discusses the practical aspects of church membership.

Announcing a Withdrawal

Withdrawal of membership is a unilateral and unfounded breaking with the church of which one is a member. This article shows how the church council should announce such a withdrawal.

Another Brick in the Wall

From 1 Peter 2:1-10, this article shows that Christians are called to active membership in the church.

The Church: Who Needs It?

The emphasis on ecumenism, the culture of subjectivism, and consumerism have had a great impact on church membership. These have brought in a divorce between membership and the church, where people no longer value loyalty to a church. This should not be. Biblically, being a Christian and being a member of the church are related concepts; one cannot be without the other.

Reformed Church Polity concerning Withdrawal of Church Membership

How should the church deal with cases of withdrawal of membership? This article begins with looking at how the Reformed church has dealt with this throughout history. The author also looks at the character of church membership and the role of church council in relation to membership withdrawal.

The Meaning of Membership and Church Accountability

Part of our calling as the family of Christ is to hold membership in a local church. This membership involves commitment to worship the Lord corporately, edifying brothers and sisters through mutual exhortation and service, cooperation in mission, and holding each other accountable to walk in a manner pleasing to the Lord.