Convental Commitment

14 June 2026

By Pastor John - Senior Pastor

Why bother becoming a formal ‘Church Member’? Over the past two weeks I’ve suggested two reasons: Firstly, Historical and Administrative. We are a Baptist Church. Membership is an integral part of how we do our governance and decision making. Secondly, it is Biblically Consistent with the way church life is expressed in the New Testament (Romans 12:4-5).

Now for my third, and I believe most important, reason: Formal church membership expresses a Covenantal Commitment to the church family.

We’re already familiar with this idea. We see it every time we attend a wedding. Two people make a life-long covenantal commitment of faithfulness to one another. Now I’m not suggesting an exact comparison between marriage and church membership. You can leave a church. You should never leave a marriage.

But Paul has high expectations of what it means to be part of a church family. Just after teaching the Romans that they are ‘one body with many members’, he says:

Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good. Be devoted

to one another in love. Honour one another above yourselves

(Romans 12:9-10).

Church membership formalises our family relationship - like taking on a surname. It gives clear acknowledgement of boundaries for spiritual oversight and church discipline.

Now you probably won’t become a church member on your first date, or your second, and probably not even on your third date. But there should come a time when you can say, ‘That’s it. I’m committed. Central Baptist is my church. I want to publicly acknowledge that I belong, I’m accountable, and I’m here to serve. I want everyone to know that I’m formally part of this family’.

What’s stopping you doing that?