Church membership can be a confusing and often divisive topic. I believe there are a few dominant reasons for that. The first has to do with how we have seen membership practiced in our previous church experiences. The second is due to a lack of solid explanation about the wisdom behind local church membership.
I cannot speak of your church history, but if it is anything like mine then you saw church membership as walking down front and letting the pastor or someone in leadership know that you wanted to join the church. They would likely ask about your salvation and if you said you did in fact believe in Jesus, then you would be presented as a member of the church. I am in no way knocking that process, but I rarely heard the rationale or meaning behind it. What did membership mean? How did it change your role or status? Were there any new privileges or responsibilities attached?
If you are a part of the Origins family, we want to be clear about our desire for “meaningful membership.” We want the why, how, and what to be defined so you know how it affects you and the rest of this amazing church family. When addressing the WHY, we can acknowledge the fact that the Bible does not expressedly command or require local church membership. And while this is true, if we take the time and apply sound Biblical wisdom, we can make a strong case for local church membership that is both meaningful and impactful.
The Biblical Foundation for Local Church Membership
The Church was born when the Holy Spirit fell on the believers at Pentecost. And for a while, it remained in and around Jerusalem. This all changed with the stoning of Stephen. From there, we see believers scatter. Acts 8:1 says, “And there arose on that day a great persecution against the church in Jerusalem, and they were all scattered throughout the regions of Judea and Samaria, except the apostles.” And as they were scattered, they took the Holy Spirit and the Gospel with them. Acts 8:4 says, “Now those who were scattered went about preaching the word.” The Great Commission (Matthew 28, Acts 1) was being fulfilled! From here, we see the Church begin to take on the form of many local churches. All of the believers were a part of the “Big C” Church as we call it, but they were also part of the local expressions of that church on a “know and be known” level. They were able to provide care, instruction, discipline, sound teaching, and new direction as they followed Christ together. These local churches were not clubs or organizations; they were families.
As we see these local churches growing and multiplying, we can continue to read throughout the New Testament and see structure, organization, leadership, and direction emerge. In places like Hebrews 13:17 and 2 Timothy 5:17 we can see a call to both lead and obey in regards to Pastors/Elders and people belonging to the church. We can also read in Philippians 2 the need for believers to be united in mind, heart, and mission. From these places and many others, we see the need for faithful leadership, submission to those called to lead, and unity in both belief and pursuit. We believe that this leads us to wisely choosing to covenant together to do such things as a local church, and this is what we would consider to be meaningful membership.
The Origins Membership Process
Within the Origins family we have a simple yet intentional process of pursuing membership. The first part is easy. Just show up. Become a regular part of a community group and our Sunday Worship Gatherings. Get to know who we are by being a part of the things we do to pursue God together. The next step would be attending one of our Origins 101 classes. During these classes you will hear about how we got here, who God has called us to be, and what we believe. It is also a time to hear about what we mean by covenant membership. While it is too long to enumerate here, it is a list of statements that lays out our commitment to God and one another as followers of Jesus who are covenanting to believe, pursue, and grow the same things. It is our way of formally saying that we are all on the same page, are trusting in the same Christ, and are seeking to glorify Him alone as we faithfully serve on His mission together.
Membership as a Safeguard for the Church
This type of membership also serves to safeguard not only Origins but also the people we serve. Everyone is welcome to worship with us on Sundays, be a regular part of a community group, and serve in several volunteer capacities. BUT, we do insist that certain levels of leadership are open only to those Biblically qualified and are covenant members of Origins. Elders, staff, community group leaders, and a few other volunteer positions are places where Gospel multiplication and discipleship are expectations and goals. And because of this, we want to be sure that people in those positions are aligned under right belief, solid Biblical teaching, and a lifestyle that reveals a heart committed to Jesus. We do not want to endorse or release someone who may be inadvertently leading people astray or away from God’s truth. Our membership covenant helps us maintain and promote the unity required for those roles.
Membership and Biblical Accountability
Another area that our membership provides meaning and value has to do with biblical accountability. Part of our covenant between God and one another involves us pursuing holiness while striving to put sin to death. We say frequently that what we do matters, and this belief comes from numerous places in scripture where we are implored and directed to live a life that honors God in the pursuit of His standards for living while avoiding sin. Accountability between one another, from leadership to our members, and from members to leadership is a vital way we seek the holiness of one another. And while this should be a universal practice between all believers, the reality is that we cannot truly know ALL believers, but we can know and submit to those God has placed around us in Biblical community. This type of accountability requires great transparency and the understanding that it is counter-cultural and can be quite difficult. Part of our membership covenant is us agreeing that we love each other enough to be unified in pursuit of God to such a degree that we are willing to hold one another accountable to His standards.
Membership Through Service and Generosity
Lastly, we strive to make membership meaningful in the way we commit to serve the Origins family. John 13, Acts 2, Galatians 6, and numerous other places remind us that we are to love one another regularly, generously, joyfully, and sacrificially. Galatians 6:10 even directly tells us to find opportunities to do good, especially for those in our faith family. We commit to serving one another through acts of service, accountability, and support. We also depend on our covenant members to partner with Origins financially as they give as the Spirit of God leads. We commit to steward your generosity faithfully and with full transparency.
An Invitation to Join the Origins Family
Origins exists to Make Disciples who Love God, Love One Another, and Love the City. We could not do this without faithful members who are committed first to God, then to one another, and lastly to the mission God has set before us. Our next Origins 101 class will be September 13th, 2026. We would love to see you there!
Sincerely,
Matthew Elrod, Lead Pastor
PS. If you would like to discuss any of the information above or anything else, feel free to email me at matthew@originsgreenville.org