By John Castelein
I am pleased with the turnout. Chatting in our living room are two elders from our local church, George and Henry, and four seminary students.
Jim is an intelligent MDiv student with a noninstrumental background. He can be somewhat argumentative.
Diane is a new counseling major. The other students do not know she is a divorced mother who faithfully attends her church without any support from her boyfriend, the father of her little girl.
Cole is single and wonders whether he belongs in seminary.
Larry wants to be a church planter and has a great passion to win young adults.
The idea for the meeting came to me when these two elders asked me why so many active younger Christians, who attend our church faithfully, refuse to place membership with us. I raised that issue in one of my seminary classes, and these four students volunteered to have an informal meeting with these men. All agreed to come prepared to share and discuss.
WHY NOT JOIN?
I launched the discussion with a direct question, “We are all committed Christians here, and yet four of you have no plans at this time to place your membership in any local church. Do you mind telling these elders why that is?”
“Sure,” says Jim (somehow I knew he”d speak first). “My major problem is that the New Testament nowhere requires local church membership. The body of Christ is the church universal. What really matters is to be a member of that universal body.”
“I agree,” says Diane. “It is important to be part of the bride of Christ, and no one local church can be that bride.”
As we ponder that, George sits back and responds slowly, “Well, I found many places where the term church refers to a local assembly, either a house church or a gathering in a particular locality.” He then lists Scriptures where church refers to a local community on earth (in Acts, in Paul”s writings, and in Revelation 2 and 3).
Cole reads Acts 5:12-14 and observes that, though no one dared to join the Christians lightheartedly, converts nonetheless were “added to their numbers.”
“Yes, but does that number necessarily mean a membership roll?” asks Jim. Henry reminds us that the New Testament church did keep some lists (like widows in 1 Timothy 5:9, 10). I add that throughout early church history the Communion service was restricted to publicly received converts only.
Larry says he wants to return to Diane”s point and affirms his belief that it is more important to have one”s name written in the Book of Life in Heaven than on some local membership roll. He has us read Exodus 32:32, 33; Psalm 69:28; Daniel 12:1; Luke 10:20; Philippians 4:3; Hebrews 12:22, 23; and Revelation 3:5.
Cole laughs. “Well, that can count both ways,” he says. “If God in the Old Testament was concerned about numbering even the clans of Israel”s tribes, if our names are recorded in his Book of Life in Heaven, if the early church restricted Communion to trained catechumens, maybe God does care about local church membership today!”
There is quite a long pause. Diane begins to speak somewhat hesitantly. “I am not a member of my church though I attend faithfully, give regularly, and make sure my little girl gets to every program. One reason I am not a member is that church attendance is not stressed at all at our church. It is never mentioned, never taught, and no one is ever urged to place membership. In fact, we have worship leaders, Sunday school teachers, and youth sponsors who are not members. Let me be honest with you. What difference would becoming a church member make for me? I got married in a church without being a member and my aunt had her funeral there without being a member. Now I hear good preaching and take Communion weekly. I have received some counseling for free, my girl is in Bible school and VBS, I play on a church team, and the church visited me in the hospital last winter and even helped me pay my bill””all without me being a church member or even being immersed.”
Jim raises his head: “Good point, Diane. That raises a question I”d like to ask you. Is it possible that one reason you are resisting church membership in a Christian church is that it requires you to be immersed?”
Diane smiles. “That”s possible.”
A BODY, AN ARMY, A FAMILY
The other elder, Henry, clears his throat and begins quietly. “Let me show you what it looks like from an elder”s perspective. The church in the New Testament is compared to a body, an army, and a family or household. Imagine a body without dependable members or members who can quit at any time””no strings attached. Imagine an army with no discipline or accountability in the ranks, where units can walk away at will. Imagine a family where just anyone can sit at the kitchen table, vote on expenditures, make purchases, shame the family, rob other members, and slander other members, without being under the rule of the parents. How can such a family, army, or body survive and be healthy?”
“Yes,” George chimes in. “Remember that as elders we are mandated to be shepherds of the flock, as Acts 20:28 says. However, if people do not publicly and officially place themselves under an eldership””and that is what placing one”s membership does””then we really have no spiritual or legal authority over them. And, Jim, as far as Scriptures go, Hebrews 13:17 does command Christians to “˜obey your leaders and submit to their authority. They keep watch over you as men who must give an account.””
Larry is nodding: “I have to admit that I wrestle with this authority issue as I plan to start a new church. The postmoderns I want to reach are suspicious of institutions and authorities. My generation struggles with choices and commitments. We like to eat our cake and still have it at the same time, and this holds true for choosing a partner or starting a job. So we put off making decisions. However, I am bothered that the New Testament presents boundaries between those who are “˜inside” the church and “˜outside” the church.”
He repeats Acts 5:12-14 and continues with Acts 12:1 (some belong to the church); 1 Corinthians 5:6-13 (there is a clear distinction between those inside the church and outsiders); 1 Corinthians 5:12, 13 (Christians are to judge insiders and leave outsiders to God); Galatians 2:9 (fellowship is actualized with the “right hand of fellowship”); Colossians 4:5 (be wise to outsiders); and 1 Thessalonians 4:12 (win the respect of outsiders).
Larry continues: “In our politically correct culture, how can I teach people that the church is different from the world in its ethics and lifestyle if even just mentioning sin is seen as being judgmental, and setting standards for the community is seen as marginalizing others? And yet, as long as local church membership is just a formality, making no real difference in people”s lives or in the church”s discipline, I”m not sure young adults will bother with it.”
I conclude the discussion. “One of my favorite insights about the church comes from Jaroslav Pelikan, a former professor at Yale University, who said: “˜Tradition is the living faith of the dead; traditionalism is the dead faith of the living.” I believe what is still a living tradition to my generation””committing to church membership in order to belong””has become traditionalism to younger active Christians who want to belong well before committing. But I can”t help wondering if one can experience the kind of community and accountability younger people say they desire if they refuse to commit publicly.”
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John Castelein is seminary professor of contemporary theology at Lincoln (Illinois) Christian University. He was born in France, grew up in Belgium, and became a proud American citizen in 1984. In addition to earning the MA and MDiv degrees from Lincoln Christian Seminary (1977), he holds a PhD in theology from the University of Chicago (1988), where he focused on contemporary challenges to Christian theology. He has taught primarily in the area of theology at Lincoln Christian College (1977″“91) and Lincoln Christian Seminary (1992″“2010). He has taught classes on postmodernity, historical and systematic theologies, neurotheology, and theology in films. He also preached full-time at Lincoln Christian Church (2001″“06) and initiated the Open Door Bible School Class for young adults (ages 23-35) at the church in 2001.
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