What Exactly is Church Membership?

Placing membership in a local congregation is kind of a funny thing. We have people in regular attendance who may attend services three times a week but they don’t want to be officially known as members.

Of course as Elders/Pastors/Shepherds in a congregation we want attendees to “place membership” Why? Because by doing so they let the leadership and the congregation know that they are putting themselves under the leadership of the congregation to help them grow and mature spiritually as Christians which is what God expects of them.

Consider the congregation as a flock of sheep under a shepherd. What if some stray sheep wander in and start feeding and associating with the flock. After a period of time the rest of the flock thinks of them as members. They feel like members and act like members. Do they become part of the flock just by continual association?

Does the Shepherd ignore them because they are not “officially” recognized as part of the flock or does the Shepherd care for them like all the others in the flock of sheep? Does he let that visiting sheep wander off to be consumed by a wolf and do nothing about it and feel no remorse because he didn’t have that sheep listed in his official tally of the flock? Or does he act to protect?

And what would the great Shepherd, Jesus Christ, do in that situation? I think I know.

My guess is that some don’t want to place membership because they don’t want to be held accountable when they stray and follow after sin. Maybe they don’t want people calling them when they miss services.

For example they may want to occasionally party and get drunk and be sexually active (outside of marriage) and sleep in on Sunday mornings but, you can’t touch me because I’m not a member of the church (officially).

What a nice little game that is played by both sides. Elders who play the “wild card” of inaction and attendees who counter with the “wild card” of I’m free to do what I want because I’m not a member.

Ridiculous. Remember God will not be “mocked” and trifled with.