Obey your leaders and submit to their authority. They keep watch over you as men who must give an account. Obey them so that their work will be a joy, not a burden, for that would be of no advantage to you. (Hebrews 13:17)

One of the core values of our church is “we believe the visible expression of the invisible church is the local church. Membership and involvement in the local church is critical for spiritual growth.”

Church membership is making public vows that you are a follower of Christ and will live as a follower of Christ, you will be committed to serve and support the church family, and you will come under the direction, and if necessary, the correction or discipline of the leadership of that church body.

In my last article I dealt with the fact that many American Christians view church membership as incidental and optional to their Christianity. Some Christians do not believe the Bible supports church membership, but others are just reluctant to make a commitment to authority and accountability. I gave several examples showing how church membership is strongly implied in the Bible and that it calls Christians to be committed to a particular local church. This commitment will be a formal one so that the elders and the church will know who has made it and who has not.

There are several close analogies in our society today to the formal vows of church membership. Making a formal commitment to a group or authority is part of the glue that holds society together. When someone becomes a citizen of the U.S.A. you must take an oath of allegiance to the constitution and laws of the country. When you join the military you are required to take an oath to the constitution and to the authority of the President. When a man and a woman get married they make public vows. Although these vows are not specifically commanded in scripture we believe they are critical. These vows safeguard the marriage and hold the couple accountable to their serious covenant promises to God and each other.

The justification for making a formal commitment to a local church is similar to taking marriage vows. A person joining the church makes a covenant to God and to the church body. God has ordained that the church and its elders encourage and hold the person accountable to live a life that matches his/her profession of faith. When you become a Christian you are joined with Christ and with His body the church. You will want to express that unity by making a formal commitment to the church. Paul said in Ephesians 4:11 that God gave pastors and teachers to equip the saints for ministry. A Christian’s attitude about church membership is not how the church can meet my needs, but how does God want me to serve others in the body of Christ.

What are the blessings of church membership? 1. Christians will flourish under God-ordained authority. Believers were designed to grow and flourish under Christ’s ministry through His officers. We find early in the book of Acts that the church prospered as they were governed, equipped, and served by the ordained officers (elders and deacons) in the church. Just like children flourish under the leadership, authority, and nurture of a loving orderly household, so believers flourish in the order and government of the local church. Christians can’t be shepherded and accountable to elders commanded to disciple them if they are not members in a local church. If we are disconnected from God’s provision for our nurture and protection in the local church we leave ourselves vulnerable and weak.

2. Christians will experience rich fellowship in the context of committed loving relationships. When you are part of a group of Christians who have made formal vows to be committed to love Christ and serve one another it creates a secure atmosphere for deeper fellowship and accountability. Being a member of a church means committing to a covenant relationship with people where you agree to be real with one another and you are there for each other through thick and thin. Jesus wants discipleship to take place in committed relationships with people with whom you sometimes have to confront in love, forgive, and reconcile.

3. Christians will witness through their unity of faith, truth, and vision. We are to be part of the community through which God has planned to carry out His great commission and transform society and culture through the gospel. Disciple making is to be done in the context of the local church according to Mt. 28:18-20. The church’s witness is expressed through its unity, commitment to Jesus Christ and each other, teaching and testifying of the Word of God, and through deeds of mercy. Being a member of a local church glorifies God because it is through the church, as Ephes. 3:10 says, that His manifold wisdom is made known.

Author and pastor Phillip Ryken states, “If the church is established by God, ruled by Christ, and governed by the Word of His Spirit, then how can a believer refuse to join it?” If you have been reluctant to formally join the church, I urge you to reconsider for the sake of your spiritual growth, the health of His church, and the glory of Christ.