There is an epidemic gripping Covenant College, and it is not COVID-19. Rather, it is a failure to understand the importance of church membership. This process of formally joining a church is an issue which confronts not only the students at Covenant College, but also Christianity as a whole. More and more, believers seem to be either unaware or unwilling to participate in the process of joining a local church, to their detriment. It is important to realize that church membership is a vital component of the Christian walk, and the primary way that God grows and sanctifies us.
Church membership is a biblical concept. While the phrase “church membership” is not actually found in the Bible, the idea is vital to understanding the Scriptures. For instance, as Pastor Ricky Jones of RiverOaks Presbyterian Church points out, every single letter in the New Testament is addressed to a local church, teaching believers how to get along with one another, how to submit to elders, and how to conduct oneself in church. Dr. Julius Kim of Westminster Theological Seminary points out that the Old Testament word used for “the assembly of God’s people” literally implies that God called His people out to worship. None of these aspects can truly be recognized when a believer has not committed himself to a church through membership. How can an elder hold a believer accountable, when that believer has not placed himself under the church’s authority?
Membership in a local church is one of the means by which God grows and teaches us. One of the key aspects of this growth through membership is the ability to serve a local church. Even college students have opportunities to use their talents to help brothers and sisters in Christ: they can help in the nursery, help upkeep the church’s facilities and simply pray for the church body and pastor. Through this service, believers grow in humility and love. Membership carries with it this commitment to serve the body of Christ.
Perhaps more importantly, membership gives believers accountability. Christians of all ages need to be committed to a local church so that, when they struggle or fall into sin, they are protected, challenged and uplifted by the flock. Pastors especially have a duty to oversee their congregation, and we do ourselves a disservice when we flit from church to church, never committing to one. A church brings with it opportunities for a believer to be sanctified in discipleship, and also to disciple others as well. Moreover, church membership keeps us going to church. When it is Sunday morning, and we are expecting a long, hard week with tests and homework due, it is a commitment which reminds us of the importance of Lord’s Day worship.
The greatest benefit of church membership, however, is in its covenantal nature. When a believer joins a church, he announces his faith to the world and formally joins the body of Christ. So many, when it comes to joining a church, reply with, “I am a member of the universal Church.” But, as Dr. Kim points out, one cannot be a member of the human race without first being a member of an immediate family. Likewise, we cannot be a member of the body of Christ without first being a faithful, committed church-goer.
There is something beautiful and profound in the way that God has given us the church to change us and sanctify us to be more like His Son. David, in Psalm 27:4 writes, “One thing have I asked of the Lord, that will I seek after: that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to gaze upon the beauty of the Lord and to inquire in his temple.” Like David, let us love the church!
In today’s cultural and social climates, with violence and anger spewing from all sides, there is nothing more important than a faithful commitment to attend church. Believers cannot begin to approach the difficult questions facing them without first going to the church and seeking the wisdom of saints both older and younger than they. It is vital that young, college-age Christians actively seek the wisdom of older and wiser believers, and also disciple and encourage younger saints.
I would encourage those of you who are faithfully going to a church every Sunday to join; commit to the service of Christ’s church, and place yourself under the accountability of the elders. To those of you visiting different churches each Sunday, find a place where the gospel is preached and Christ is central, and join. And I would encourage those of you who do not go to church for fear of COVID-19 to deeply consider your heart; if you do not go to church on Sunday, but travel down the mountain or eat out, perhaps you should reconsider your true motivation. Church membership is not something that should be lightly placed to the side.
Joining a church is often hard. It is hard to commit to going to the same building every Sunday. There may be drama or strife within the church, and because of our hardened hearts, the gospel is often unpleasant and convicting. But that is why membership is so important: when the going is tough, there is a bond that holds us to our commitment, and there are fellow believers who walk alongside us as we go. God has given His saints a beautiful thing in the Church, and it is foolish to regard it with apathy.