9 Marks of a Healthy Church - 6th Mark

A Biblical Understanding of Church Membership

"The practice among Christians of church membership has developed as an attempt to help us grasp hold of each other in responsibility and love. By identifying ourselves with a particular church, we let the pastors and other members of that local church know that we intend to be committed in attendance, giving, prayer and service. We increase others' expectations of us in these areas, and make it known that we are the responsibility of this local church. We assure the church of our commitment to Christ in serving with them, and we call for their commitment to serve us in love and to encourage us in our discipleship.

In this sense, church membership is a biblical idea. It comes from, among other things, Paul's use of body imagery about the local church. It comes from Christ's saving us by His grace and placing us in churches to serve Him in love as we serve others. It comes from our mutual obligations as spelled out in Scripture's "together" and "one another" passages. All of these are encapsulated in the covenant of a healthy church." (9 Marks of a Healthy Church, pp. 35-36)

From the Belgic Confession on The Obligations of Church Members: "But all people are obliged to join and unite with it, keeping the unity of the church by submitting to its instruction and discipline, by bending their necks under the yoke of Christ, and by serving to build up one another, according to the gifts God has given them as members of each other in the same body." (Article 28)