Book Review - Is Church Membership Biblical? (by Ryan M. McGraw and Ryan Speck)
I just finished a quick read from Ryan M McGraw and Ryan Speck. The book is entitled “Is Church Membership Biblical?” and it can be found here in Kindle and paperback and audiobook.
They find many Biblical evidences for the Biblical nature of formal membership vows and formal church membership. They also respond to objections towards the end of this little book. They argue right at the beginning that:
Just as a canvas provides a necessary backdrop to a work of art, so the Bible assumes the necessity of formal church membership in order to fulfill the commands and to apply the promises of Scripture with regard to the church.
They continue with a definition of church membership:
We define formal church membership as a covenant made by a public vow in which a person commits himself or herself to a local body of believers under the authority of a well-defined group of church leaders.
That word for ‘covenant’ is important in this book because a ‘covenantal framework’ for our relationship to God in Jesus Christ and then as members of the body of Jesus Christ is fundamental to any doctrine of the church. As McGraw and Speck demonstrate in various ways, this membership in the church is deeply and thoroughly covenantal.
Their intent right from the start is too show how thoroughly Biblical this definition is. They begin by demonstrating it by way of three analogies in Scripture: (1) The analogy of citizenship; (2) The analogy of a family; (3) The analogy of a body. Christians are all citizens of the kingdom of heaven, we are all part of the family of faith, we are all part of the body of Christ. The Church is a visible community and “The members of the invisible church express their life through commitment to the visible church.” They argue that defective views of church membership often reflect a defective view of the church itself. Those may be in church leadership or in church membership.
They move on to the duties of Christians to join this church community. They argue it on the basis of: (1) the interdependence of believers and (2) the mutual responsibilities of believers. We need each other and we need our commitment to one another.
Finally, the authors share at least four reasons “at least four practical reasons solidify the need for membership rolls and formal membership vows”: (1) the relationship between church members and church officers; (2) God’s covenantal dealings with His people as a model for the covenantal dealings between the officers and the church; (3) The discipline process in Matthew 18:15-20; (4) Membership rolls as necessary for the election of church officers.
They also respond to a variety of objections. First, they respond to the objection that vows are entirely forbidden in Scripture, which can be proved to be false, from Scripture. Second, there is an objection that the early church was not as formal as the modern church. This is hard to prove and in fact, evidence from the New Testament would show the contrary. Third, what about those who have experienced the abuse of authority? They give the analogy of a marriage. The abuse of authority in a marriage is not an argument against the institution of the covenant of marriage. Yes, abusive authority must be corrected both in marriage and in the church.
They conclude with a quote by the early Puritan pastor, William Perkins, who described the church as “the suburbs of the city of God, and the gate of heaven; and therefore entrance must be made into heaven in and by the church.”
This is a book review so I cannot delve deeply into their arguments or their Biblical evidences. I would simply encourage you to grab a copy of the book and like the Bereans in Acts 17, search the Scriptures, and then consider how the Spirit has led the Church through Christian history as the Spirit has guided the Church through the authority of the Holy Scriptures.
I want to make a brief mention with regards to their definition. They write: “We define formal church membership as a covenant made by a public vow in which a person commits himself or herself to a local body of believers under the authority of a well-defined group of church leaders.” I would have appreciated it if they had given more time to the discussion of the membership of baptized children who have not yet been able to make a public vow in the Church. We do indeed call the young people of the church to make vows at the age of 18, but that is on the basis of their baptism, by which they are already included in the membership rolls and included as member of the church of Jesus Christ. The young people of the church are also under the authority of their dads and the spiritual oversight of the elders as the church assists the parents in raising them into the maturity of faith, hope and love.
I want to emphasize that the intent of formal vows and memberships in the Reformed and Presbyterian world is for the intent of service. In Scripture, the officers of the church are referred to as rulers, overseers and shepherds. It is important then that if the shepherds want to properly serve the sheep that there be boundaries and mutual commitments, a covenantal structure between God and men within the assembly.
I highly recommend this book as a primer on church membership. It is a quick and easy read and leaves you with a lot of Scripture and good solid arguments from Scripture to reflect on. It is also cheap, especially if you buy it on Kindle (I spent under $4 on the book). I recommend it for churches as a teaching tool as well as for individuals who are trying to find their way in the world.
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The picture is a screenshot from the cover the book.