10 Reasons for Practicing Formal Church Membership: The Case for Defining Who Makes Up the Church

Kirk E. Miller
  1. The gospel saves, not just individuals, but a people that take the form of local communities (churches).
  2. These churches have definable boundaries—who it is that makes up the church.
  3. The NT depicts the Christian life occurring in the context of the local church.
  4. The church is a community of believers. So we don’t want to assume someone to be a part of our church without confirming they are in fact a believer.
  5. People belong to a church voluntarily. So we don’t want to assume someone to be a part of our church without them agreeing to it.
  6. In order to discipline someone out of the church, they first need to be considered a part of the church.
  7. Being able to identify who makes up our church clarifies who actually represents our church, thereby guarding our testimony.
  8. In order to conduct our affairs as a church (e.g., voting), we need to know who makes up the church.
  9. Elders/pastors need to know who they are accountable for.
  10. Members need to know who they are accountable to (which elders/pastors?)