Some years back American Express had a commercial with actor Carl Malden as its spokesperson. In this commercial Carl Malden would say something like;
American Express–membership has it privileges, don’t leave home without it.
As church members we need to understand that Membership means something. If church membership is making certain that I am buried in the grave yard, or making certain that as a Pastor I report the high numbers of increasing members, then membership has lost its meaning.
Therefore, another endorsement that I would like to wholeheartedly support is the resolution by Dr. Tom Ascol on Integrity In Church Membership. I believe this resolution will make it out of committee this year.
Allow me to post for you the resolves:
- RESOLVED that the messengers of the Southern Baptist Convention meeting in San Antonio, Texas, June 12-13, 2007, urge Southern Baptists to repent of our failure to maintain responsible church membership, and be it further
- RESOLVED that we urge the churches of the Southern Baptist Convention to repent of the widespread failure among us to obey Jesus Christ in the practice of lovingly correcting wayward church members (Matthew 18:15-18), and be it further
- RESOLVED that we plead with pastors and church leaders to lead their churches to study and implement our Lord’s teachings on this essential church practice, and be it further
- RESOLVED that we encourage denominational servants to support and encourage churches that seek to recover and implement our Savior’s teachings on church discipline, especially when such efforts result in the reduction in the number of members that are reported in those churches, and be it finally
- RESOLVED that we commit to pray for our churches as they seek to honor the Lord Jesus Christ through reestablishing integrity to church membership and to the reporting of statistics in the Annual Church Profile.
Last year Dr. Ascol had to ask for his resolution to come out of the committee and it was allowed to be read on the floor. I believe because of a couple of sharp barbs in that resolution the convention did not accept it in full. However, I see this resolution as being one that lovingly calls on pastors to lead their churches in the Biblical model of building a regenerate church membership.
Maintaining a regenerate church membership is not something that is easy to do. I know we are in the middle of this process at this point in my own ministry. It is not that the church does not see the need, it has to do with issues such as a graveyard or family members or charter membership. Many things hinder the process, but steps are in place to lovingly overcome them.
Therefore, I will be raising my ballot high when this resolution comes to the floor.
