This post will touch on what the gospel teaches about believers of Christ, united with Him, by faith alone, through His grace alone, according to God’s sovereign grace alone, to His glory alone, as taught in Scripture alone, but having to face the requirements of men alone when it comes to the sticky issue of “church membership”!

Church membership was NEVER a problem when I was in an interdenominational and independent full gospel church for almost 28 years. It wasn’t a problem when I first joined a self-confessed “Christ-centered, gospel centered” Gospel Coalition friendly church 11 years ago. In fact, less than 6 months at this church, and because of faithful servanthood including faithful attendance at this church, I was already approached to serve as an elder!

I distinctly remember mentioning to the founding pastor (a Southern Baptist Missionary now back in the States) and elders, “You sure you guys don’t want to do a back-ground reference check on me?” They took it tongue-in-cheek.

I served as a pastor in the full gospel church for almost 7 years, full-time. Until today, former church members and those I served alongside in other churches in the area call me “pastor”. I’m not one for titles. I do know, and it has been confirmed too many times through other people’s witness, that I indeed have God’s calling upon my life as a pastor. So I pastor. I pastor whoever the LORD would bring along my path.

Unwittingly, a senior national Gospel Coalition leader recently recommended me for gospel coach training. Not realizing that I wasn’t yet a “church member” in the local, “Christ-centered, and gospel focused” assembly. He then tried his best to point to Scripture as a basis for how local churches today substantiate their “church membership” practices. Sadly, he himself who preached the gospel all over the land and overseas did not see the incongruency of preaching a gospel that proclaimed the manifest riches we have in union with Christ, yet, oblivious to his own church’s practice of church membership that implicitly divides asunder Christ among His people into “members” and non-members.

When I was asked to prayerfully consider the nomination as elder in the current congregation which my family and I joined 11 years ago, I was not even pointed in the direction of “church membership”. Membership of the local congregation was post-facto. That is, after the fact that the existing 3 elders at that time interviewing me to ascertain that I was very much in line with orthodoxy of the gospel and bearing fruit as a testimony of being a genuine Christ-follower. I took on church membership at that time because it was barely an issue. In fact, it was more of an administrative issue.

Fast forward to today, and church membership has become a guard-rail, helpful, but a means to discriminate and make distinct differences of “privilege” of pastoral care afforded to believers of Christ?

The irony of my present circumstances is that this same church took time to preach and teach through 1 Corinthians of all letters in the New Testament! The very letter of Scripture that argued AGAINST discrimination based on leadership uniqueness was implicitly overlooked as “church membership” policy and practice discriminated against me.

I refused to become a church member in this local congregation. Especially in a local “body” that “made much” of being “gospel and Christ-centered”, yet, oblivious to their blind spot of differentiating blood-bought and Spirit-filled believers of Christ, by faith alone, through grace alone, by the sovereign grace of God alone, through His gospel word of the truth alone, into “members”, and “non-members”. With corresponding privileges and non-privileges.

I finally made the decision to leave this local congregation. For all their self-confessed “gospel and Christ-centeredness”, they were just like the Corinthian church, “mere men”, not recognizing the “mind of Christ” so obviously evident in so many of their “attendees”. Requiring of these “attendees” to take-up “church membership” before they are given pastoral care in an intentional manner, or granted the opportunity to serve the Chief Shepherd who bought them with His own blood.

It may not be obvious to the current crop of leaders in this congregation that when the onion of this issue is peeled back bit by bit, perhaps, it is the idolatry of “control” that is at the center of the dynamics here. Why add “church membership” to ensure Christ-followers are accountable to Christ? Isn’t the Holy Spirit and Scripture more than able to preserve faith in every genuine believer of Christ than a human construct called “church membership”? Didn’t Christ say that He will build His church, and that the gates of hell will not prevail against it? However, our modern under-shepherds probably lack the confidence in the mighty gospel of Christ that He will through the Holy Spirit corral His sheep into faithful and loving members of His own body. They still need human inventions like “church membership” to keep the sheep under “loving” control!

Why have “church membership” as a “qualification” to serve, whether as an elder, deacon or worship leader, let alone as a home group leader and teacher? Isn’t being a faithful witness to the gospel sufficient, because Jesus Himself did not put such “qualifications” for His children washed by His blood and filled with His Spirit to serve Him? Isn’t the clear-cut bearing of fruit more obvious than persons who go through the process of “church membership”, but then miss weeks of Sunday worship, and are missing in action when the church gathers to serve and worship?

Are these local church leaders unwittingly implying that the Gospel itself isn’t sufficient to raise up matured believers who demonstrate their commitment and loyalty to Christ by committing to the local congregation WITHOUT having to sign a document, or stand up during a Sunday worship to be acknowledged as a genuine Christ-follower?

In the current congregation, I have faithfully given financially. My wife and I look out for newcomers and try and make them feel at home. We attend home group faithfully, as well as Sunday worship. We serve as ushers when it’s the turn of our home group to do so. For all purposes and intents, we are already “members” in heart at this local congregation. Yet, for all these, they are still not reason to be recognized as “members” of Christ. For this local congregation, the dotted membership document must be signed as well. The policy and process of “church membership” must be adhered to as well. Sad!

I therefore decided that it was not worth it any longer to be in a congregation and a leadership that self-confessedly proclaim to be “gospel and Christ-centered” but is not willing to walk the talk when it comes to caring for every single person who steps into the premises on a Sunday. Persons who stay on for weeks and months before they are accorded pastoral care because they are not members. Persons who are encouraged to “take up church membership” before they are accorded the pastoral care that Jesus Himself gives to ALL His sheep without discrimination. He took all division away in His body. That which signifies His church.

Sad.

I must say I feel like an outcast in this congregation where I served my LORD with distinction for 3 years. I led the Worship Team, I led the Mission department, I preached, and I taught. I led the Prayer Meeting. But because I wasn’t a “card-carrying” “church member”, I was not allowed to serve in all these areas which the Chief Shepherd had called me to serve in His precious body.

I have decided to forgive this leadership, and congregation, and move on to the Chief Shepherd’s other flocks to serve Him without these Pharisaical rules of “church membership”. Incidentally, the “rot” started with the previous pastor who left after being accused of some misdeeds by his assistant pastor who also left. The “conservatism” (Pharisaicalism?) went full force in his watch. A steady decline into hidden rules and regulations. All hinting of subtle control. It’s still there. This is what happens when the grace of God’s gospel in Christ is slowly eroded.

How vital it is to keep going back to Gal 5:1, “It was for freedom that Christ set us free, stand firm therefore in this freedom”. It was this same gospel grace freedom which set the Bavarian monk Martin Luther free from the shackles of Roman Catholicism “membership” and set on fire to light the fires of the Reformation over 5oo years ago. Sadly, his progeny has forgotten that salvation, and all the benefits of being united with Christ which are only and freely available when Christ is united with us, by grace alone, through faith alone, through the Scriptures alone, to the glory of God alone, through Christ alone. Not Christ plus church membership!