What Good is Church Membership?
Several years ago, a family joined our church. Their son, around the age of seven, watched as his parents proclaimed that they were followers of Jesus Christ and that they desired to be faithful members of this congregation. He watched as the session voted, "Aye!" as Presbyterians do. Then, the son got a rather disgusted look on his face and asked, "What is this? Some kind of a club or something?"
Um, actually, no. It's not a club. Although in similar definition a church is a group of people joined around a particular purpose. But, unlike a club, the church isn't our organization. Jesus Christ is the Head of the church – all churches – whether they're Presbyterian, or Roman Catholic, or Russian Orthodox. All churches belong to him, and none has it exactly right. If anything, we're more like the club's custodial staff, keeping the place in order until the real members – the One – shows up. In one way or another, we all feel called to this place, to this work, to this service, this steward-ship.
Because we're Presbyterian and because Presbyterians tend to like things "decent and in order," our Book of Order spells out what membership – or, maybe more correctly, serviceship – means. It says,
A faithful member bears witness to God's love and grace and promises to be involved responsibly in the ministry of Christ's Church. Such involvement includes:
- proclaiming the good news in word and deed,
- taking part in the common life and worship of a congregation,
- lifting one another up in prayer, mutual concern, and active support,
- studying Scripture and the issues of Christian faith and life,
- supporting the ministry of the church through the giving of money, time, and talents,
- demonstrating a new quality of life within and through the church,
- responding to God's activity in the world through service to others,
- living responsibly in the personal, family, vocational, political, cultural, and social relationships of life,
- working in the world for peace, justice, freedom, and human fulfillment,
- participating in the governing responsibilities of the church, and
- reviewing and evaluating regularly the integrity of one's membership, and considering ways in which one's participation in the worship and service of the church may be increased and made more meaningful.
Do we always get church membership right? Um, actually, no. It's always up for review. But sometimes it works. Sometimes we get it, often in spite of ourselves, and always by the gift and guidance of something beyond us, in communion with other imperfect people, perhaps, at its best, through the Holy Spirit.
So, club? No. More like a purpose, a cause, a movement toward the ideal of being the hands and feet and mind and heart of Christ for the world. When we get it right, that's the good of church membership.
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