Church Membership: The Sacred Embassy of God’s Kingdom

Does the Bible really speak about “joining” a church?  Isn’t membership just a modern invention?  Why does it matter if I attend one congregation faithfully yet never sign anything? I am sympathetic to these types of questions because of  a century of sloppy practice that has bred ambiguity, and many believers now treat membership like belonging to a gym or sports team. We pay dues, show up when it suits us and maintain a private life outside of the facility. When we look at the landscape of much of the western cultures version of Church membership, we won’t see any semblance of that in the New Testament.

Scripture paints a very different picture.

One Body with Many Members

Paul’s words to the church in Corinth lay an essential foundation.  “Just as the body is one and has many members, and all the members of the body, though many, are one body, so it is with Christ,” he writes.  “For in one Spirit we were all baptized into one body” (1 Cor. 12:12–13).  He then presses the point: each part of a body plays a different role, but every part is necessary.  The foot cannot say, “Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body.”  The ear cannot say, “Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body.”  If the whole body were an eye, where would be the sense of hearing?  In other words, Christians are incorporated into a single organism where every member needs the others.  We cannot imagine an eye choosing to leave the body because another organism down the road has a better ear.  Yet that is precisely how many people view church membership.  They treat it like a baseball league. Teams compete, players can be traded and benchwarmers aren’t expected to participate fully.  Such thinking is completely foreign to the New Testament.

The confusion is understandable because many churches have reduced membership to a list of names.  People can attend indefinitely without ever joining.  Baptism and the Lord’s Supper become private mystical experiences rather than ordinances of the gathered body.  Believers make major life decisions; jobs, homes, spouses, without considering how those choices affect the fellowship.  They guard their time and money selfishly and are absent for weeks without accountability.  Every item on that list contradicts the picture of the church in Scripture.  The Christian life is not an individualistic experience.  Yes, each of us has a personal relationship with Christ, but that relationship brings us into union with other believers.  We become citizens of a kingdom and parts of a body.  We cannot separate our allegiance to Christ from our connection to his people.

Citizenship in the Kingdom of Christ

What makes someone part of the church in the first place?  The universal church is comprised of all the saints from all time.  When Paul tells the Colossians that God “has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son” (Col. 1:13–14), he describes an act of divine relocation.  Through faith in Christ we are automatically, irrevocably transferred into his kingdom.  There is no bureaucratic process, no water baptism required to make that transfer.  Faith and repentance alone bring us into that citizenship.  Our standing in the universal church is secure because God, not man, has placed us there.

Yet Jesus commanded us to do something with new citizens.  After the resurrected Lord commissioned his disciples to make more disciples of all nations, he told them to baptize those new believers in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit (Matt. 28:19).  Baptism does not make someone a citizen of heaven; faith does that.  Instead, baptism is an outward sign of citizenship. A public passport.  In Acts 2 we read that those who received Peter’s word were baptized and “were added that day about three thousand souls”.  They were added to a congregation.  Faith made them citizens of the kingdom; baptism announced it to the world.  Baptism is our heavenly passport because it identifies us with Christ and his people.

The Local Church: An Embassy in a Foreign Land

If we are citizens of heaven while living in the domain of darkness, where do we show our passport?  Imagine a Christian living as a foreigner in a foreign land.  As citizens of a heavenly kingdom, we reside on the earth as sojourners.  The local church functions as our embassy.  Embassies exist so that citizens of one nation can receive recognition and assistance while living abroad.  When you walk through the gates of an embassy, show your passport and declare your allegiance, the ambassador welcomes you.  The embassy offers protection, provision, education and a tangible connection to your homeland.  Likewise, the local church is where your citizenship is affirmed, where you find fellowship, where you are sheltered from spiritual enemies and where you are equipped to participate in the work of the kingdom.

The New Testament clearly distinguishes between the universal church and local congregations.  Paul sends greetings from “all the churches of Christ” (Rom. 16:16).  He speaks of “all the churches” observing the same practices (1 Cor. 7:17) and mentions “churches of Galatia” (Gal. 1:2) and the “church of God that is in Corinth” (1 Cor. 1:2).  There was not one enormous assembly in each province; there were multiple congregations in towns and cities.  Therefore, belonging to the universal church implicitly means belonging to a specific local body.

Did the Early Churches Have Membership?

Some argue that formal membership is absent from the Bible.  But the tasks assigned to local churches assume a defined membership.  Elders are to “keep watch over your souls, as those who will have to give an account” (Heb. 13:17).  How can leaders know for whom they will give account if there is no roster?  Pastors are told to “shepherd the flock of God that is among you” (1 Pet. 5:2).  To shepherd a flock you must know which sheep are part of it.  Titus was left in Crete to “put what remained into order, and appoint elders in every town” (Titus 1:5), which implies identifiable churches with structures of leadership.  The church in Corinth removed an unrepentant man from among them (1 Cor. 5), drawing a clear line between those inside and those outside (1 Cor. 5:12–13).  These commands make sense only if the churches could identify who belonged to them.

Jonathan Leeman of 9Marks describes membership as “a declaration of citizenship in Christ’s kingdom… a passport… an announcement made in the pressroom of Christ’s kingdom.”  Membership is “a formal relationship between a local church and a Christian characterized by the church’s affirmation and oversight of a Christian’s discipleship and the Christian’s submission to living out his or her discipleship in the care of the church” .  The church body publicly affirms a believer’s profession of faith and baptism as credible and promises to oversee that person’s discipleship; the individual, in turn, formally submits to the love and authority of that body .  Leeman concludes that once you have chosen Christ, you have no choice but to choose to join a church .  The relationship is not consumeristic; it is covenantal.

Reasons Membership Matters

Why does this formal relationship matter?  Leeman provides twelve reasons.  He notes that membership is biblical; Jesus founded the local church and the apostles did their ministry through it .  The church “is its members” ; to be a church in the New Testament is to be one of its members.  Membership is a prerequisite for the Lord’s Supper ; this ordinance is for the gathered church.  It is how we officially represent Jesus and declare our highest allegiance .  Membership allows Christians to embody biblical images of the body of Christ, the temple of the Spirit and the family of God .  It helps us know whom we are responsible to love and serve  and which leaders we are called to follow .  It lets leaders know for whom they will give an account , enables church discipline , gives structure to our lives  and builds a witness that invites the nations .

Matt Mihelic makes the same point in a recent 9Marks article.  He notes that local churches are believers who gather to love God and one another by preaching the gospel, partaking in the ordinances and exercising the keys of the kingdom .  Membership, according to Mihelic, is a pattern throughout the New Testament; the writers assumed Christians were accountable to specific churches .  Commands to “love one another” and “stir up one another to love and good works” presuppose that members know whom they are responsible to love .  Believers cannot obey their leaders unless they are formally under that authority .  Jesus taught that the church has authority to determine who belongs to it and who does not .  Therefore, Mihelic concludes, the Bible requires Christians to be accountable as members of a local church .

Sam Emadi goes even further.  He warns that investing heavily in elders and deacons without dignifying the work of membership sends the wrong message.  Elders are important, but “the church, made up of its members, is far more important” .  Members hold the keys of the kingdom; they oversee membership and discipline, protect the purity of the church’s doctrine and are ultimately responsible for the church’s health .  Members disciple, encourage, hold accountable, counsel, serve, forgive, evangelize and fund the ministry .  Elders exist to equip the saints for the work of ministry (Eph. 4:12).  In other words, membership is not a passive status; it is the front line of the church’s mission.

Membership as an Office and a Job

Because of consumerism, many Christians view membership like a rewards program at a gas station.  We pull into whichever “station” offers the music or programs we like, fill our tanks, maybe join the rewards program and move on.  But Jonathan Leeman argues that church membership is an office and a job.  You are expected to show up for work; you have authority to exercise, tasks to complete, privileges to enjoy, a corporate reputation to protect, risks to endure and profits to share .  Members have functions, duties, powers and prerogatives which others must recognize and respect .  A person cannot make himself a member; only the church can admit him .  Therefore, membership is not a consumer choice; it is a serious stewardship.

Why Membership Matters in a Culture of Decline

We are living through an unprecedented decline in formal church membership.  According to Gallup’s long‑running surveys, only 47 percent of Americans said they belonged to a church in 2020, down from 70 percent in 1999 .  When Gallup first measured membership in 1937, 73 percent of Americans were members of a house of worship .  That figure remained near 70 percent through 2000 but dropped to 61 percent in 2010 and 47 percent by 2020 .  The decline is tied partly to an increase in people with no religious preference. only 8 percent of Americans lacked any religious affiliation in 1998–2000, but that number grew to 21 percent by 2018–2020 .  Even among those who do identify with a religion, formal membership has fallen from 73 percent to 60 percent .  There are generational differences as well: 66 percent of traditionalists belong to a church, compared with 58 percent of baby boomers, 50 percent of Generation X and only 36 percent of millennials .

These statistics should alarm us.  People are increasingly reluctant to commit to any institution.  They prefer spirituality without accountability, community on their own terms and relationships that do not demand sacrifice.  The decline of membership does not mean believers no longer gather, it means they gather without formal commitments and therefore without the structures that Scripture commands.  Without membership, leaders do not know whom to shepherd.  Believers do not know whom they are responsible to love, serve and forgive.  The watching world sees our faith as a hobby rather than a covenant.  The decline is not just a sociological trend; it is a spiritual crisis.

The Responsibilities of Membership

Having established that membership is biblical and essential, what does it mean to be a member?  Paul reminds us that God arranges the members in the body just as he chooses (1 Cor. 12:18).  Each of us has a unique and important role.  Membership is not about paying dues or maintaining your status.  If you have been transferred from darkness into light, then you have an intrachurch role to play.  This is the highest privilege on earth.  It is higher than being part of a sports team or a social club.  Sadly, we often treat church membership like a warehouse membership.  We use the benefits when we want and neglect them when we do not.

As members we are called to participate in the body.  Hebrews instructs us to “consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together” (Heb. 10:24–25).  In the local church we find specific believers whose burdens we are called to bear.  Mihelic argues that joining a church means choosing to love others with clarity, not ambiguity .  Membership provides clear expectations for who we must serve and what that service looks like.  Love perseveres through hurt and draws us to people who may not look like us .  Leeman notes that membership requires active participation; we have authority to exercise, tasks to accomplish and a reputation to protect .  Emadi reminds us that members carry the keys of the kingdom; they oversee discipline, protect doctrine and fund ministry .  In short, church members disciple one another, encourage one another, hold one another accountable, counsel one another, serve one another, forgive one another, do the work of evangelism and support the work financially .

Joining a Healthy Church, Even at Great Cost

What if there is no healthy church nearby?  Many believers lament that they cannot find a biblically faithful congregation in their city or town.  They settle for an unhealthy church because of convenience or job opportunities.  But membership in a healthy church is so important that we must be willing to rearrange our lives around it.  The local church is your embassy; it is the place where your citizenship in heaven is recognized.  If the only embassies nearby are dysfunctional, abusive or spiritually dead, you do not remain in foreign territory without support.  You move closer to a functioning embassy.

This counsel may sound extreme.  Moving across town or across the country disrupts family routines, changes schools and may require a significant pay cut.  Yet if the eternal welfare of your soul and the souls of your family depends on the ministry of a healthy church, the sacrifice is worth it.  We have a number of families that contact us from all over the country who are seeking to do this very thing. Trying to find ways to move their families to Jonesboro Arkansas, so that they can be a part of Twelve 5 Church. We seek to assist them in any way we can. But we also guide them to other healthy churches all over the country.

Jesus said, “Seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness” (Matt. 6:33).  Seeking the kingdom means seeking the kingdom’s people.  You would move for a better job or a safer neighborhood; why not move for the spiritual health of your family?  The benefits of a faithful congregation far outweigh the temporary comfort of a higher salary or bigger house.  When you join a church that preaches the word, practices the ordinances, exercises discipline and disciples its members, you invest in eternal treasures.  Encourage your loved ones to pursue this above all else.

Building Your Life Around the Church

Once you have joined a healthy church, build your life around it.  Immerse your family in the community.  Attend the gatherings faithfully.  Submit to the leaders whom God has appointed to watch over your soul.  Seek out ways to serve according to your gifts.  Give generously of your resources and time.  Pray for your fellow members and for the mission of the church.  Do not treat membership like a status to maintain but as a vocation to fulfill.  Remember that the church is not a service provider; it is a body, and you are a part of it.

Membership also means ordering our Monday‑to‑Saturday lives around the body.  Our decisions about jobs, homes and schedules should reflect our commitment to the church.  Buying a house far from your church may save money but hinder your ability to participate.  Accepting a promotion that requires travel may disrupt your ability to gather and serve.  Making major decisions without seeking counsel from pastors and fellow members isolates you from the wisdom of the body.  Integrate your life with the lives of other saints.  Rejoice with those who rejoice and weep with those who weep.  Share meals, resources and prayers.  Guard your brothers and sisters from sin and let them guard you.  This is the community that proves to the world that we are Jesus’ disciples (John 13:35).

A Closing Exhortation

Church membership is not a man‑made appendage to the gospel; it is the ordained means by which God displays his kingdom on earth.  Through faith in Christ we are transferred into his kingdom and made citizens.  Baptism publicly announces that citizenship.  The local church functions as our embassy, confirming our identity, providing fellowship, protection and equipping us for mission.  Membership is how we declare our allegiance, serve our brothers and sisters, submit to our leaders and hold one another accountable.  It is an office and a job, not a consumer choice.  It is the highest privilege on earth, far exceeding any club or civic association.  Therefore, find the healthiest church you can, join it and build your life around it. If that means uprooting your family and taking a pay cut, do so joyfully.  The glory of Christ and the good of your soul are worth any earthly sacrifice.