Membership FAQ's

Why does there have to be a membership process at all? Isn't being a Christian good enough for becoming a member of a local church?

Every church has some type of membership process. Although the membership requirements at The Remnant Church may have seemed unreasonable to some, the idea of actually having a membership process at all should not surprise us. For some churches, attendance at the weekly worship service is the only requirement; for others, bible study is also required. Each church has its own way of doing things.

Being a Christian is "good enough" in that it is the only real requirement to become a member of any local church. But in our society, however, when someone says that he or she is a Christian, it can mean so many things.

We do not mean to imply that churches without a formal membership requirement are somehow lacking. The first church was one of those churches. We must recognize, however, that when that invisible kingdom of God is being practiced in the visible community, there will be different expressions of that invisible kingdom. Different churches exist in different contexts calling for different measures. Different local churches, therefore, may ask one to commit in differing ways.

If there is no mention of a membership requirement for the early church, isn't having a membership process unbiblical?

There are many things we do in church today that are not specifically mentioned in the Bible. Sunday school programs, for instance. The bible never mentions the early church having Sunday school for children, yet we do it. If the early church didn't have Sunday school programs, does it mean that it is unbiblical for us to have them? Of course not. So, although a membership process is not specifically found in the Bible, that does not mean that such a process is unbiblical.

Why didn't the early church talk about the issue of membership?

Probably because they didn't have to. There were at least three reasons. First of all, in Jerusalem, there was only one church. If you were a Christian, you were part of that church. There was no question as to whether you were a member of this church or that church.

Secondly, in Acts 5:13, Luke writes that "no one else dared join" the early church after the Ananias and Sapphira incident. The people saw that when this couple lied, they died. They saw that being part of the church was serious business. Because people would not join the church unless they were serious, there was no need to have a process to determine the sincerity of a person's commitment.

Thirdly, there was a cost involved in just identifying oneself as a Christian. Christianity was considered a cult, and when people joined a church, it often meant that they were being cut off from their families, their communities, and even persecuted for their faith. Because the mere acts of joining a church and declaring one's faith were so radical, once those things were done through baptism, there did not need to be any further membership process.

If the early church did not need a membership process, what is it that makes it so important for The Remnant today?

We want to challenge people to take Christianity seriously, and we believe this is one of the ways to do it in our cultural context. In New York City today, because it does not cost anything for people to come to church, there is no way to determine whether or not they are serious about Christianity.

What does cost have to do with joining a church?

When there is no cost, we tend not to take our faith seriously. In the days of the early church, going to church meant putting your life on the line. Even in our days, this kind of Christian commitment is not unheard of. In one contemporary Muslim society, a man became a Christian. When he told his family, his brothers beat him, his father disowned him, and others threatened to kill him. There is no question as to whether this man was committed or not. In these types of societies, a membership requirement isn't necessary because just confessing that one is a Christian is a true indication of the seriousness of one's commitment.

It is easier for people in our generation and society to misunderstand what church is all about. People can confess their Christianity and join churches without having to be serious about it. They see church as a place where they can go and listen to a message, but they do not want to be bothered in terms of actually having their lives be affected by the church. They want to decide when they want to come and what they expect from a church, but they don't want to be told what to do.

We, at The Remnant, are looking for something different. We choose not to determine membership by attendance alone because all kinds of people come into our church - unbelievers, seekers, nominal believers, believers at all different stages - it's hard for the church today to find out whether an individual is serious about Christianity or not. We need to know who is committed. It is important for us to know so that we can minister appropriately to the various needs. Our ministry as well as expectation would be different for those who are not committed. We would not expect those who are not committed to give or to serve, for example. We would not try to discipline a person who was not committed to submit to that discipline.

What keeps people from committing themselves to church, even though they are really sincere Christians?

When people do not commit to a church, we do not doubt their commitment to Christ. Perhaps they don't understand how commitment to one must involve commitment to the other. It can also show, however, that they still have a desire to keep their own freedom; maybe they have a personal agenda that they do not want to give up.

What are some reasons people are hesitant about becoming members?

Some are not sure about their future plans as to whether or not they are going to be in New York. Others are still checking this church out. Others just want to come to the worship service but not get too involved. They do not want to participate, and they do not want to be held accountable for their actions. They do not want to be disciplined by this church, and they do not want to submit to the authority of the leadership.

Why go through the membership process? Isn't it enough that my heart is committed?

The membership process exists as a mechanism by which people communicate to the staff and other members that they share the specific vision of The Remnant and want to commit themselves to its realization. Some people may have caught the vision and are willing to submit to the authority of the church, but they do not see the need to go through this process. But what good is a personal commitment to a group of people if the people don't know you're committed? Going through the membership process is a way of communicating to the other members that you are committed to them. It is an outward sign of the heart within - in function, like baptism, one might say. It is not so much for the individual's own sake but for the individual's relationship to the body that the procedure is put in place.

DEFINITION OF MEMBERSHIP

What does it mean to say that one wants to become a member of this church?

When you say, "I want to become a member of this church," what you are saying is, "I commit myself to submit to the authority of this church."

What does being disciplined by the church or submitting to the authority of leadership have to do with membership?

One of the purposes of a church's existence here on this earth is to exercise the authority of God. The church is the means through which Christians receive discipline and accountability. When someone sins, in order to have restoration, there must be discipline. In order to have discipline, we need to have accountability. One must be willing to place oneself under the authority of the leadership of a church. No accountability relationship is really effective unless one party is in a position to discipline the other. There needs to be relationship where there is rebuking and correcting. This is why you can't really be "accountable" to a friend, because when you do something wrong, that friend cannot discipline you in the way that the church can.

Can you give an example of "discipline?"

We could ask a person to refrain from taking communion or not to attend members' meetings. We could take away a person's responsibilities. We could also ask that person to see a counselor to work through the situation.

What kinds of actions or behavior require discipline?

Any sin we become aware of where the person does not want to take the path of restoration.

What authority or rights do members have?

The right to be disciplined. Membership gives us leaders above us who will rebuke, correct, and train us. Members have the right to ask the staff to do this. One of the worst things that could ever happen to a Christian is not to have anyone to rebuke or correct them. King David always had a prophet to do this for him. Saul, on the other hand, because of his continued, stubborn disobedience, lost the counsel of Samuel and for the rest of his life was left to his own devices.

Members also have the privilege of service as well as the right to know when the church is about to make a major decision and to participate in it.

What is expected of members? What responsibilities do they have?

It is expected that those who decide to become members be in full accord with the doctrine of this church and that any teaching they do be in accordance with that doctrine. Furthermore, members are expected to participate and to submit. Members are expected to participate faithfully in three areas: in the Lord's day corporate worship, through giving, and through service. Members are expected to submit humbly to biblical discipline by the leadership of the church.

If I become a member, does this mean I am saying that I will never leave this church? Are there conditions under which it would be acceptable to leave?

When we say that we would like people to think of membership as committing "until Jesus comes," it's not so much that we mean this literally. It's more about challenging people to have a long term perspective and a corresponding commitment. There is a mile of difference between the way a person commits who believes he or she will be here for only one year and a person who believes, as far as he or she knows, that he or she will be here for a lifetime. Of course no one can ever know for sure, but it's about having that "lifetime commitment" kind of attitude until we know for sure that God is leading us elsewhere. No matter where we are, we can never know for sure how long God will keep us there; if this is what is keeping us from committing, we will never be able to commit to anything.

Whenever a member feels he or she is not being spiritually fed or growing, he or she has every right to leave. This person should leave. There are also times when God calls people to leave for various reasons. But we look for lifetime commitment attitude because we believe that the work God has called us to do here could certainly take, a lifetime.