Church membership

31 May 2026

By Pastor John - Senior Pastor

Over recent months we have welcomed many people into the formal membership of Central Baptist Church. That’s great news. But what is ‘Church Membership’. We don’t find it in the pages of the Bible, so why have it?

Over the next three weeks I’d like to put forward three reasons, in ascending order of importance, to urge those who are not yet members to consider becoming a church member.

Firstly, and this is the least important reason in my opinion, I’d encourage you to become a church member for Historical and Administrative reasons.

We are the oldest surviving Baptist Church in Australia. Being a ‘Baptist Church’ is a historical reality, tied to our church’s location, that impacts how we do governance and decision making and that necessitates a defined church membership.

Baptist Churches have traditionally upheld the following two principles of church life:

a) The Autonomy (i.e. independence) of the Local Church: We, the Body of Christ locally expressed, make our own decisions and govern ourselves as one united body. We are not subject to external authorities such as bishops, councils, or denominational powers.

b) The Priesthood of All Believers: Every believer, not just pastors, elders, or priests, has the fulness of the Holy Spirit and therefore a valuable voice in setting the direction of church life.

Church membership is the way we draw boundaries around who is formally able to engage in large decisions that impact church life. Every year we hold at least two members meetings where every member can have a voice to consider and vote on important matters. To be eligible to vote you need to be a member.

My hope is that everyone who calls Central home will become a ‘Member’ and be able to participate fully in these important governance and administrative matters.