Why Should I Join A Church?

The title of this introduction raises a good question, doesn't it? Even among those who support the idea of church membership, there are valid reasons to wonder why most churches have established membership roles as well as procedures for welcoming people into membership.

For example, we cannot overlook the fact that the word "membership" is not used anywhere in the Bible. No matter how hard you look, you will never find a verse or passage in the New Testament that directly commands believers to maintain membership roles or establish membership procedures. Such direct commands are simply never given. And there are no clear examples in the New Testament of written membership lists being kept.

With this in mind, one cannot help but wonder if the whole idea of church membership isn't an unnecessary addition to Scripture—a legalistic tradition added to the simplicity of the Christian life. If church membership is seen as such an addition, it is no wonder that it has become an unpopular idea.

Then, when one introduces into this discussion the individualistic philosophies of Western (particularly American) thought, church membership becomes even more unpopular. In a culture where self-reliance, self-worth, self-esteem, and self-fulfillment are considered to be the most desirable personal characteristics, membership in a local church, where mutual submission, accountability, and inter-dependence are the way of life, seems foreign and even counter-productive.

By the very fact that we have written this article, you know that we do value the idea of church membership. Hopefully, you have also become aware of how highly we value the Bible, not merely as the only message for the salvation of mankind and the divine standard for personal holiness, but also as the manual of instruction for the conduct of the church. With this in mind, we hope to answer your question, Why should I join a church? by giving you the following three biblical reasons for doing so... (read more)

Copyright © 2003 Christ Fellowship
Adapted from the Statement of Faith of Christ Fellowship, Kansas City