tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30006406.post1735641039059244435..comments2024-03-28T13:07:51.025-07:00Comments on Winging It: Church MembershipStanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04523232247971115247noreply@blogger.comBlogger6125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30006406.post-13495931762483939672017-07-30T18:23:25.422-07:002017-07-30T18:23:25.422-07:00No, it's not that there are standards to meet....No, it's not that there are standards to meet. I complained about churches with no requirements as well. It just seems like it shouldn't be a lot harder to be a church member than to be in the family of Christ. There are requirements to meet to be in the family of Christ and should be to be a functioning member of a church, but "Agree with us on the mode of baptism" or "Concur that the King James is the only valid Bible" don't seem like viable requirements for church membership.<br /><br />I wonder if it's just too hard to check. "Do you know Jesus?" "Is it the same Jesus we worship?" "Are you relying on Him and His work on the cross as your sole means of being made righteous, of getting to heaven?" There are a few tests that Scripture offers. I wouldn't be opposed to those. But "Are you a paedobaptist?" doesn't seem to be one of them.Stanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04523232247971115247noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30006406.post-14610221881298501372017-07-30T15:22:20.581-07:002017-07-30T15:22:20.581-07:00Just as a clarification, is your problem with the ...Just as a clarification, is your problem with the concept of having standards for church membership or with the specifics of some churches requirements?<br /><br />For example, I'd suggest that some minimal level of of standards should be reasonable for membership. For example, allowing an atheist to become a member of s church seems like a problem. Craighttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17149415942585847184noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30006406.post-70124002946222502462017-07-28T10:06:32.567-07:002017-07-28T10:06:32.567-07:00I wasn't concerned about you. I was thinking a...I wasn't concerned about you. I was thinking about the general principle of "you don't have to qualify for membership to teach here" for too many groups. There needs to be some accountability.Stanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04523232247971115247noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30006406.post-59873623512710885442017-07-28T09:18:04.380-07:002017-07-28T09:18:04.380-07:00I serve individual members. I have helped by prov...I serve individual members. I have helped by providing materials for individuals' ministries, I have provided apologetic information for members encountering Jehovah's Witnesses and Mormons. Praying for many there, providing encouragements to some elderly, etc. one doesn't have to be a "member" of an assembly to be active in serving members of the body of Christ.<br /><br />As for teaching, one need not be a member in my book. The leadership can examine the individual for his qualifications and theological viewpoints, etc, to determine if he is qualified. And even in the assembly I'm attending, they allow for "guest" teachers if they see value; e.g., I have offered to teach about cults and am seriously considered for that. Glenn E. Chatfieldhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04117405535707961903noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30006406.post-65005405530100289922017-07-28T09:00:18.921-07:002017-07-28T09:00:18.921-07:00Those "covenants" they want you to sign ...Those "covenants" they want you to sign are exactly the kinds of thing I'm asking about. Those are the things to which you have to subscribe to be a member, but not necessarily to be a child of God.<br /><br />I understand your position of not being a member, but if membership is required to serve in a body of believers and you don't become a member, won't it be difficult to serve in that body? And if it is <i>not</i> required to serve, isn't there an extreme risk of "false teachers" (etc.)?Stanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04523232247971115247noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30006406.post-40062528804865888062017-07-28T08:35:06.484-07:002017-07-28T08:35:06.484-07:00From a lot of what I've seen over the years, c...From a lot of what I've seen over the years, church discipline seems to be the main reason for membership. Too many lawsuits have been lost because people didn't like the discipline, so if they have become members and agree to said discipline, then they can't win a lawsuit.<br /><br />Also, they usually want you to be a member if you are going to teach or serve in any other capacity. My problem with membership is some of the "covenants" they want you to sign. Which is why when we began attending our current assembly 2 1/2 years ago we haven't become members -- I don't like their covenant.Glenn E. Chatfieldhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04117405535707961903noreply@blogger.com