How Members Are Received Into A Church

Prayer: That God may increase our membership in order that we may do more for Him.



There are two ways of receiving members into a church.

1. By Experience and Baptism. 2. By Letters of Dismission from sister churches. In accordance with the first way, persons wishing to unite with a church give an account of the dealings of God with their souls, and state the "reason of the hope that is in them"; whereupon, if, in the judgment of the church they "have passed from death unto life," they are by vote of the church recognized as candidates for baptism, with the understanding that when baptized they will be entitled to all the rights and privileges of membership.

Great care should be exercised in receiving members. Many churches err at this point. They do not observe the requisite caution; for they receive persons who give, to say the least, very imperfect evidence of piety. There is much danger of this, especially in times of religious excitement. Pastors should positively assure themselves that those who are received for baptism have felt themselves to be guilty, ruined, helpless sinners, justly condemned by God's holy law; and under a sense of their lost condition have trusted in Christ for salvation.

After baptism - usually at the first celebration of the Lord's Supper - it is the general, and should be the universal custom for the pastor to give the hand of fellowship to the newly baptized, in token of their having been received into full membership. This affords the pastor a suitable opportunity of saying something as to the import and obligations of the Christian profession.

The other way of becoming members of a church is by presenting Letters of Dismission from sister churches. These letters affording satisfactory proof of their Christian character and standing, the applicants for membership are received and the hand of fellowship given, as in the former case. It is proper to say. That by sister churches are meant churches of similar faith and order. Hence no Baptist church can receive and recognize, as a passport to membership, a letter from any Pedobaptist organization.

There is such a lack of similar faith and order as to render this utterly inadmissible. It sometimes happens that persons who have been baptized where there is no church, and persons who, owing to the extinction of the church to which they belonged, or to other circumstances, find themselves without regular Letters of Dismission, wish to enjoy the privileges of membership. In such cases it is only necessary for the church applied to be satisfied of the worthiness of the applicants, and they are received.



ADDITIONAL MATERIAL

I. Introduction.

1. A church is a voluntary organization. (1) No one can force someone to join a church. (2) The church cannot compel anyone to join. (3) The church, however, is not optional with a believer. (4) The believer is under a moral obligation - obedience to Christ.

2. A church is an organization under the laws of Christ, (1) Conditions for membership are laid down: a. A regenerate heart b. A professed faith c. A reception of baptism d. A Christian character (2) A church should never admit for membership those who do not have the above qualifications.

3. Joining a church is an important occasion. (1) No pomp or ceremony as in joining other organizations. (2) Too little significance is given to this occasion by most believers and church members.
 

II. How Are Members Received Into a Church?

1. By Baptism.

(1) Baptism, technically, is not the "door to the church."

(2) The vote of the body admits membership into the church.

(3) Vote always states, "after baptism into full fellowship of the church."

(4) No one should ever be baptized who does not join the church at the same time.

2. By Letter.

(1) A letter is only a recommendation or commendation of a believer from one church to another:

(2) A believer has an obligation to have his membership in the community where he lives, if he can find a church of like faith and order. If not, better to keep his membership in a sound church, even though in another city.

3. By Restoration.

(1) An excluded member may be restored after asking forgiveness from the church.

(2) An excluded member from another church must not be received unless:

a. He returns to the church from which he has been excluded and asks forgiveness from the church.

b. An investigation reveals that the church that excluded the member was in error.

c. A great failure today among Baptist churches is the failure to recognize the sovereignty and authority of a sister church.

4. By Statement or Experience.

(1) A statement is received under the following circumstances:

a. A church has disbanded so that letters are no longer obtainable.

b. Fire has destroyed church records.

c. For some reason, a church will not grant a letter, so that individual can be received by his own Personal statement.

d. The individual does not know where his letter is located. (2) In all the above cases, an investigation should be made by the church before receiving the person as a member.

5. By Watchcare.

(1) Those who reside in a community for a temporary period of time.

(2) Their membership remains in the home church, but they are subject to the discipline of the church which they join by watchcare and are able to participate in all functions of the church.

(3) Watchcare Membership ceases upon his return to his home church.

III. Members should not be received under these conditions

1. By letter from other denominations.

2. By baptism from other denominations.

IV. Sister churches do not include:

1. Primitive Baptists or Hardshell Baptists.

2. Free-will Baptists.

3. General Baptists.

4. Seventh-Day Baptists.

5. None of the above are Baptist churches even though they use the name Baptist.



Discussion by Leader:

1. How would an increased membership benefit our church?

2. Should we invite others of like faith and order to cast their lot with us?

3. What inducements should we use to get them to move their membership to our church?



Parts for Assignment:

1. How many ways are there of receiving members into the church?

2. What do we mean by "experience and baptism?

3. What do we mean by letters of dismission?

4. What care should be exercised in receiving members for baptism?

5. What do Baptists mean when they refer to "sister" churches?



Discussion Questions:

1. Should we receive those who do not have a clear statement of salvation? What should we do with them?

2. Should the church vote on receiving members? What kind of a vote is necessary? Why unanimous? What effect would a divided vote have?

3. Is there any other way of receiving members than by the two mentioned in the lesson? What do we mean by "statement?

4. Should a church ever receive a person that has been excluded from another church? If so, under what circumstances?

5. Should Baptists ever receive letters from another denomination? Why not? What is involved?
 

Midi playing is; Are You Washed in The Blood of the Lamb