Is Church Membership Optional?

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Pastor Will was walking through the parking lot after a Lord’s Day gathering when a car pulled up beside him. The window rolled down, and Hellen introduced herself, “Hi, Pastor, it’s so nice to finally meet you! I’ve been a member of the church for 27 years.” Will had only been at the church for a few months, but asked, “Why haven't we met yet?” 

“Well, I haven't attended a church service in several years,” she responded. 

After they exchanged a few pleasantries, the pastor continued to his car, wondering how Hellen could consider herself a member of the church. After all, she wasn’t involved in the life of the church at all. As Pastor Will talked to others in the church over the next few months, he realized very few people had a clear idea of what church membership called for.

The Meaning of Membership

Between the two of us, we have too many memberships. Big box retail stores, online shopping services, the gym, the alumni association, the homeowner’s association, the local pool, and of course, the church. Most of these memberships are similar. They affect only a small slice of life and demand nothing more than a small financial commitment and occasional attendance at an event. That’s it. Nothing more.   

Take, for instance, a membership at the gym. What are the expectations? Do you have to visit the gym a certain number of times in order to keep your membership intact? Are you kicked out of the gym if you fail to show up for a month? Is anything expected of you other than making sure your payment goes through? No, in fact, most gyms are thrilled when members pay but don’t show up. Your absence means less wear and tear on the facilities. The best kind of gym member is the one who pays but doesn’t come.   

Most memberships have a limited life cycle. If you keep making the monthly payment to the gym, you can keep your membership for as long as you want. But most people will eventually end their membership in order to save a few dollars. Some people move their gym membership regularly, as soon as a new one opens in their community with newer equipment and trendier decor. Rare is the person who keeps the same gym membership for a decade, much less for a lifetime.   

Plus, the benefits of gym membership only affect a few aspects of your life. In the grand scheme of things, a gym membership will not provide the tools you need to have deeper friendships or a healthy marriage. No one goes to the gym for instruction on morals, work ethic, financial stewardship, or motivations for good deeds. While regular visits to the gym may help you experience a better quality of physical life, it has little implications for your soul.   

Finally, no higher authority commands you to join a gym. Maybe your spouse makes a subtle suggestion about how a gym might help you get in shape, or your company offers a health incentive for working out, but no authority figure demands that you join a gym. You are free to join, free to quit, and free to go back and forth. No command compels you to join your local health club.

Photo Credit: ©Getty Images/Maskot 

Why Church Membership Is Different

Membership in the local church has little in common with other types of memberships. If you’re a Christian, then you have been commanded to join a local church, and membership in that church positively affects every area of your life.   

To ensure we are all on the same page, it might be helpful to define what a church is. In the Christian tradition, the word church has been used in two ways. First, the Church (uppercase) refers to all Christians across the world and time. Second, the church (lowercase) refers to Christians who reside in a particular place to gather together regularly. We often say the church (lowercase) is a local expression of the Church (capitalized). In this article, we are primarily addressing the local church. In a local church, believers are bound together in a commitment to one another to gather regularly, and among other things, receive faithful Bible instruction under recognized leadership and practice the ordinances (baptism and the Lord’s Supper).   

Is Church Membership Optional?

Membership is not optional for the follower of Jesus. Church membership was practiced by the first Christians and is demanded for all following generations. The Bible lays out an expectation that every Christian would join a local assembly of Christians and be numbered with them.  

And membership in the local church never has an expiration date; it’s the only membership that doesn’t end when you die. Your membership in the local, temporary assembly pictures your membership in the heavenly, eternal assembly. Death doesn’t end your membership in the church. It simply transfers it to the final assembly.  

Membership in the church differs from the other organizations you’ve joined because it demands something more than a monthly payment. Membership in the church demands all of you, and it impacts every aspect of your life.   

When you join a gym, you’re a member of the gym. That’s it. But when you join a church, you’re not just a member. You’re also a worshipper, minister, and servant. You’re a disciple-maker, giver, intercessor, and ambassador. These seven roles define what it means to be a member of the church.   

One of the mottos regularly used by the United States Marine Corps is “Every Marine is a Rifleman.” No matter what specialty a Marine is trained to perform—everything from driving trucks to analyzing intelligence, from military police to cyber warfare, every Marine has to qualify with a rifle. You can’t become a Marine without becoming a rifleman. The one identity—Marine—encompasses many roles. By accepting the title of Marine, you also accept all the roles that are included in the title. The same is true for the title “church member.” That one title includes many roles. To separate the title from the roles is to weaken what it means to join a church.

If you allow our culture to color your understanding of church membership, you will likely dilute it until it becomes biblically unrecognizable. But if your view of membership is shaped by the Bible, you will see a fuller, richer, and more beautiful picture than you might have imagined. Joining a church can multiply the impact of your life in unexpected ways and is the doorway to a deeper experience of God’s mercy and a more tangible demonstration of His care.

Photo Credit: ©iStock/Getty Images Plus/BorupFoto 

Matthew Z. Capps has served as the lead pastor of Fairview Baptist Church in Apex, N.C., since 2015. He is the co-author of “Every Member Matters” and “Drawn by Beauty.” Capps is a graduate of Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary (M.Div. with biblical languages), Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary (D.Min. in pastoral theology), and is a Ph.D. candidate at Ridley College in Melbourne, Australia. Matt and Laura have three children: Solomon, Ruby and Abby.

Josh Wredberg serves as lead pastor of Redeemer Community Church in Fuquay-Varina, N.C. He has earned a doctorate in preaching from Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary. Josh is the co-author of “Every Member Matters” and “Exalting Jesus in John,” a commentary in the Christ-Centered Exposition series. He and his wife, Cari, have three sons: Jack, Max and Caed.