Church Rolls

Not to be confused with Church Roles, which was an earlier post, Church Rolls are just a way to talk about the membership records at a church. It's not uncommon for a Baptist church to have over 400 people listed as church members and yet have around 50 people consistently attending (That's currently what our membership records look like). But is this how the Bible talks about membership?

As we read through the New Testament we notice that the early church kept a count on who was a member (Acts 2:42; 4:4) and they knew who to contact when they needed to have a members meeting (Acts 6:2). Paul also talks about those who were inside the church and those who were outside (1 Corinthians 5:12) - and being inside the church wasn't just about showing up (1 Corinthians 14:16, 23). Those inside the church were characterized by:

• Repentance and belief in Jesus as their Lord and Savior (Acts 2:38-41). To be a part of the church meant personal faith and commitment.

• The fruit of a changed life. They weren't living in unrepentant sin (1 Cor 5), but had the fruit of the Spirit flowing out of them.

• Gathering together. In other words, they followed the command of Hebrews 10:24-25 and they went to church.

More could be said about the characteristics of the NT church, but this information helps us think about what it means to be a church member. It's not about having your name on a list somewhere. The importance of membership is the covenant relationship with the rest of the church, commiting to work for the good of each other as we walk together following God.

So what is a church supposed to do when someone is not living according to this biblical pattern of church membership?

• The church could do nothing, and simply leave them on the roll as a member. But this is not only contrary to the pattern of membership in the NT, it is also contrary to how we are supposed to care for each other. True care means caring enough to check in on people that haven't been to church in a while, or speaking the truth in love when a member has wandered from the truth. This is what we're committing to when we join the church family. So simply leaving someone on the roll without any contact or encouragement isn't the right option.

• The church could reach out and try to care for the member, but wait to take the member off the roll until they request it (either through transferring them to inactive membership or taking them off the roll). This is definitely a better option than previously, because it does display the love that the church is supposed to have for its members. But the question still remains: if someone is habitually not living like a member, are they a member? The teaching of the Bible is that we are known by our fruit. And so if we don't have a desire to follow God and gather together with His people, then the Bible would question whether we are truly a part of the family of God.

• The church could reach out and try to care for the member, and then move them off of active membership if they do not respond to the care and encouragement of the church. This follows the pattern of Matthew 18 and seeks to maintain the holiness of the church. It communicates love to members and the truth that Christians are those who have not only professed Christ, but are actively displaying the fruit of Christianity.

Being a member of the family of God matters. It matters for our soul, because it is within the family of God that grow to love God more and love our brothers more. It matters for the family, because all the members of the church have a role in building up the church. This is what we commit to when we commit to church membership. We should encourage people toward this kind of faithfulness. And one of the ways the church can be faithful to this task is encouraging people to live fruitful lives and trying to accurate reflect in our membership records those who are members of the church of God.