What is church membership?
Church membership is a commitment made by a Christian to a local body of believers with the purpose of uniting together for worship, mutual edification, and evangelism.
The idea of “membership” comes from the apostle Paul, when he describes the local church as a “body” and each person as a “member” of that body (1 Cor 12:14, 19, 26). Paul uses the imagery of the body of Christ in 1 Corinthians 12-14 to show us our dependence upon others in the church and their dependence upon us. Each member in the church needs every other member.
Who should be a member of a church?
It is our view, based upon the teaching of Scripture, that every true Christian church should have a formal membership status as part of its organizational structure, and that every Christian should be a formal member of a Bible-believing church.
What must someone do to become a church member?
- Be a born-again disciple of Jesus Christ
- Be baptized by immersion as a believer
- Agree with the Racine Bible Church “Statement of Faith”
- Agree with and affirm our church covenant
- Participate in an “interview” process with a church elder