Membership at Midtown and the reasons for it
Membership at Midtown is a covenant commitment by a Christian, who has been baptized as a visible confession of repentance and faith, and is committed to living out the “one anothers” of the Bible, and has been affirmed and officially welcomed by the elders.
The membership covenant (see below), of Midtown doesn’t ask anyone to commit themselves to anything more, or less, than the Scriptures do.
There are those who say they don’t need the church, as long as they have Jesus and the Bible and a few friends. That’s good enough, they say. But it’s not. And not because Jesus and the Holy Spirit inspired Word aren’t enough, but because that’s not how God has chosen to work among His people. What God can do, and what God wills to do, shouldn’t be confused. Could God work apart from the church? Of course, but that’s the wrong question. The right question is how has God chosen to work? And the answer is through the church.
God wills that each in the family of God come to Him individually but are to grow corporately. God has called a people, He’s raising a nation, and has birthed a household. Yes, He knows each of us by name but calls each of us to live our faith out in the context of His family.
And therefore, if one wants to walk according to God’s plan and purpose, they need to be a part of a local church. It’s through the church that the manifold wisdom of God is made known (Eph. 3:10). It’s the church that is the pillar and buttress of truth (I Tim. 3:15). Jesus loves and died for the church, His bride, and purchased the church by His blood (Eph. 5:25, Eph. 6:20). The New Testament letters are, in large part, written to local churches (I Cor. 1:2, Gal. 1:2, Eph. 1:2, Phil. 1:1, Col 1:2). When Jesus chose to write a letter in the New Testament, He wrote it to seven local churches (see Revelation chapters 2 and 3).
Many people view churches as an unnecessary, or even manipulative, institution not particularly valuable or necessary for spiritual growth or personal well-being. Because of this, joining a church is one of the most counter-cultural things a person can do.
Becoming a church member means leaving behind the comfort of individualism and voluntarily allowing yourself to be bound to others. It is a beautiful picture of the Gospel. And we do this, in part, because Jesus joyfully left behind His comfort and bound Himself to us.
Many find church membership a complicated topic. They aren’t sure why membership is necessary if they are otherwise committed to the church. The Bible contains at least five strands of evidence for local church membership. Each reveals something vital to the Christian faith which would be minimized or denied if there were no definable local church membership.
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Church membership is implied in the metaphor of the body of Christ.
“The eye cannot say to the hand, ‘I have no need of you,’ nor again the head to the feet, ‘I have no need of you. ’ On the contrary, the parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable, and on those parts of the body that we think less honorable we bestow the greater honor, and our unpresentable parts are treated with greater modesty, which our more presentable parts do not require. But God has so composed the body, giving greater honor to the part that lacked it, that there may be no division in the body, but that the members may have the same care for one another. If one member suffers, all suffer together; if one member is honored, all rejoice together” (1 Corinthians 12:21-26).
There is a unity and organic relationship implied in the imagery of the body. There is something unnatural about a Christian attaching himself to a body of believers and yet not choosing to be a functioning member of that body.
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Church membership is implied in the way the New Testament requires elders to care for the flock in their charge. Elders can extend their focus and care to anyone within the limits of their ability. However, it would seem that the Bible gives elders a special responsibility to care for a specific group or community of people.
“Pay careful attention to yourselves and to all the flock, in which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to care for the church of God, which he obtained with his own blood” (Acts 20:28).
These verses do not say elders cannot invest in unbelievers or those who are not yet church members, but it does make clear that their first responsibility is to a particular flock. How do elders know who their flock is if not through membership?
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Church membership is implied by the way the church is supposed to discipline its members. The church appears to be the final court of appeal in matters of church authority as it relates to membership.
“If your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault, between you and him alone. If he listens to you, you have gained your brother. But if he does not listen, take one or two others along with you, that every charge may be established by the evidence of two or three witnesses. If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church. And if he refuses to listen even to the church, let him be to you as a Gentile and a tax collector” (Matthew 18:15-17).
If there is no such thing as church membership, how do we define the group of people who will take up this extraordinarily delicate and vital matter of exhorting those who are unrepentant and finally rendering a righteous judgment about their standing in Christian community? It’s hard to believe that just anyone who shows up claiming to be a Christian should be a part of this process. “The church” must be a definable group to handle such weighty matters so that we know who the Scripture is referencing when it says “take it to the church.”
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The fact that excommunication exists implies church membership. Paul indicates this in I Corinthians 5:12-13 where he deals with the necessity of putting someone out of the church.
“For what have I to do with judging outsiders? Is it not those inside the church whom you are to judge? God judges those outside. ‘Purge the evil person from among you’” (1 Corinthians 5:12-13)
There are two significant implications here: One is that there is an “in the church” group and an “outside the church” group. Being in the church is definable. The other implication is that a person can be removed from being “in the church.” Such a formal removal would not be possible if there were no such thing as membership. Membership helps to define who is an accountable part of the church body.
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Church membership is implied in the biblical requirement of all Christians to be submitted to a group of church leaders, elders, or pastors. The New Testament commands individuals to submit to a specific group of leaders.
“Obey your leaders and submit to them, for they are keeping watch over your souls, as those who will have to give an account. Let them do this with joy and not with groaning, for that would be of no advantage to you” (Hebrews 13:17).
This verse seems to imply that individuals need to have expressed willingness or agreement to submit to a group of leaders. Membership helps define who has made the commitment to be led. It is also important to know who has been chosen to lead in this process. If we neglect the importance of membership, it becomes difficult to see how we can obey this command practically.
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Elders are called overseers for a specific purpose. They have been given the responsibility to protect the flock from wolves who would seek to scatter and kill the flock along with making sure that those not yet qualified are given positions of trust and leadership. Formal church membership, therefore, enables the leadership to vet and hold accountable those who have been given allowance to teach and lead.
In all this discussion, however, it’s important to note that membership is not a status symbol or social club, it’s a call to gospel partnership. And one cannot, in good conscience, point to verses that speak to their inclusion in the universal and invisible church while ignoring the many texts that speak to the call of being an active member of a local church. It is the local church, after all, imperfect as she may be, that makes the universal and invisible church known.
Midtown’s Fourfold Membership Covenant
A Members willing commitment to the Church Family
Having received Jesus Christ as my Lord and Saviour, having been baptized upon confession of my faith, and being in agreement with Midtown’s mission, beliefs and structure, I now feel led by the Holy Spirit to unite with the Midtown Church family. In doing so, I commit myself to God and to the other members to do the following:
(I) I will PROTECT THE UNITY of Midtown Church
By acting in love toward other members - John 13:34-35, I John 4:7, Rom. 13:8, Col. 3:14
By refusing to gossip - Eph. 4:29, Prov. 20:19, Titus 3:10-11
By resolving conflicts using - Matt. 18:15-17, Gal. 6:1, II Tim. 3:16, I John 5:16
By following the leaders - Heb. 13:17
“Live in such harmony with one another, in accord with Christ Jesus.” (Romans 15:5b).
(II) I will SHARE THE RESPONSIBILITY of Midtown Church
By praying for its growth - James 5:16, Gal. 6:2, Eph. 6:18
By inviting the unchurched to attend - Luke 14:23
By attending a D-Group and/or Bible Study
By attending and participating in all church wide Family Meetings.
By participating in the individual and corporate calls of church discipline (Matt. 18:15-20, I Cor. 5:1-13, Eph. 6:1-2)
“Go out to the highways and hedges and compel people to come in, that my house may be filled” (Luke 14:23b).
“Therefore welcome one another as Christ has welcomed you, for the glory of God” (Romans 15:7).
(III) I will SERVE THE MINISTRY of Midtown Church
By discovering my gift(s) of the Spirit and being equipped in certain ministry areas - Eph. 4:11-12
By developing a servant’s heart in serving God and others - Gal. 5:13
By understanding that I am indeed a full-time missionary and that my best ministry happens in my 24/7 world - I Peter 2:9, Acts 1:8, Matt. 28:19-20
“As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God’s varied grace” (I Peter 4:10).
“And he gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers, to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ” (Ephesians 4:11-12).
(IV) I will SUPPORT THE TESTIMONY of Midtown Church
By attending faithfully - Acts 2:42, Heb. 10:24-25
By living a growing and godly life - Eph. 1:4, I Thess. 4:7
By giving regularly - II Cor. 8:7-8, II Cor. 9:1-15, I Cor. 16:2
“And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near” (Hebrews 10:24-25).
“Only let your manner of life be worthy of the gospel of Christ striving side by side for the faith of the gospel” (Philippians 1:27).
“On the first day of every week, each of you is to put something aside and store it up, as he may prosper” (I Corinthians 16:2).
The membership of Midtown meets at least one time each year to discuss the ministry, vision and business of the church family. We call these meetings Family Meetings. Our staff gives daily leadership to programs as well as setting and implementing vision and direction for the future. Our elders provide oversight and accountability along with prayerful support and shepherding of the staff and church family.
Covenant members are involved in the life of the church in the following ways:
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Our elders give general spiritual oversight to the church family and discern God’s direction for future ministries. The church body is asked to affirm leaders according to the biblical qualifications set out for church leaders in 1 Timothy 3 and Titus 1.
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The membership approves new lead pastoral positions and will have the opportunity to interact with and affirm specific candidates that are recommended by the elders. All other staff positions are hired by the elders. No one, other than the Lead Pastor, is hired as a pastor for we hold that the title pastor is reserved for qualified and affirmed elders only. And therefore, the hiring of the Lead Pastor requires the affirmation of the body for his role. All other hires are given the title of staff, director or minister (aka deacon), with titles changed thereafter based on the affirmation of the elders and/or body.
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The annual budget is produced by the staff, elders and finance team and brought to the membership for final discussion and approval at the family meeting that takes place early in the calendar year in preparation for the next ministry year. Yearly financial reviews are brought to the membership yearly.
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Significant purchases represent any expenditure exceeding 25% of the annual budget. A 75% yes vote from the covenant membership is necessary to pass any of the above or other special moves. Quorum requires 10% of the covenant membership to participate and the 75% affirmation threshold is based on those who vote, not on the total number of covenant members.
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There are lay ministry positions that are open to all who call Midtown home. But there are also positions reserved for covenant members only and this is especially true in areas of leadership and teaching. Staff, elders, Bible study and D-Group leaders, kids teachers, worship leaders, ministry team leaders, and so on are positions that require covenant membership. While there are areas where anyone can serve at Midtown we want to ensure that those leading and teaching agree with Midtown’s beliefs, mission and values.
A Final Word
Having a multigenerational church family, with people from all different life situations and backgrounds, could be a recipe for conflict. If you choose to be an active participant in the life of Midtown you are exhorted to pray for our leaders, our staff and our church family that we might maintain the beautiful unity that comes as we submit to one another and to Christ. This is a great church to be part of and God deserves all the glory!
How can I become a covenant member of Midtown?
Attend the membership class
Fill out the online membership application
Be interviewed by an elder
Be affirmed and welcomed
We pray for God’s leading, wisdom and discernment as you consider covenant membership at Midtown.
Some additional resources:
Church Membership by Jonathan Leeman
Life in the Father’s House by Mack and Swavely