Ever felt like you were having one of those days where everything was about to come crashing in around you?
That's me. Right now.
You see I'm taking (turbo) Elementary Hebrew. Two semesters crammed into 10 weeks. Yes, 32 weeks crammed into 10. It's really turbo on nitros.
Baptist thoughts
Last week I was watching some of the SBC Convention on live webcast. I did see Dr. Ascol give his resolution on church membership. I also heard the reasoning from the Chair of the Resolution committe as to why it was denied floor discussion. He basically said it was because the committe felt that calling on churches to clean up and become more active in membership reporting was not worth discussing. The reasoning being that calling for integrity in church membership reporting would cause churches to loose a large evangelistic target group.
Whaaaa?
But a resolution was brought to the floor calling on baptists to not drink alcohol, and that leadership in the convention should not inbibe either. That passed with flying colors.
I have two issues of my own misunderstanding. One--church membership--evangelistic tool. Since when does the church membership rolls need to be evangelized? Shouldn't they already be saved? If they are, wouldn't they be in church? Doesn't one have to be saved to be a member, or do we just allow anyone to join?
Membership should mean something. Not just cause momma was a member, but because Christ, who redeemed me and saved me, and called me His own (not-I called Him my own, He called me in His soverein grace!).
Secondly, how is it that a resolution calling for integrity in church membership reporting...integrity...cannot get passed, just don't drink in celebration of that!!!
Shouldn't we be more concerned over why most of those on are rolls-active and inactive-disobey God and live in open, arrogant, say la vee attitude toward sin, than a deacon who's faith can handle a glass of wine over dinner once in a while? We need to get our priorities straight.
Make church membership something that is earned by how you live.
At 4:59 AM, 
At 8:26 PM,
Hey Aaron,
I agree totally. Church membership and the 'cleaning of membership roles' has been a thing with me for some time. The hard thing is that the dam has been cracked. When some Baptist churches start recognizing and accepting anyone and everyone and then they want to move their letter into yours without ever being scripturally baptized then what do you do? You are absolutely right. The church roles are not the place to find the heathen, or at least it shouldn't be.
Ben Cole's site is called Baptist Blogger (http://www.baptistblogger.blogspot.com)
I really enjoy your site.
His servant your friend,
joshking
At 10:10 AM,
Aaron,
What, may I ask, is your plan to insure that each and every member of our church is truly regenerate? Shall we dunk them in water and those who survive after holding them under for 5 minutes must be unregenerate and those who perish were truly in the flock? What about forming religious police forces who roam our neighborhoods ala Saudia Arabia?
Should all church members be regenerate? Yes. Are they? That's between them and a holy merciful God. When converts give evidence of salvation through confession of faith there is a inherent in that act a certain amount of mystery: Was that person truly saved?
Why would you blast pastors who are realists about their church membership rolls? According to your rationale, Jesus erred when he chose the group of 12 to follow Him, since one of them would betray Him.
I guarantee you if you took some of this time you used blogging and spent it sharing the Gospel, when you get to the end of the journey, you will be eternally grateful.
You need to look no further at the Annual Church Profiles of the churches led by the Blogging Bunch. If you want to lead small, ineffective congregations in mediocre ministry with very little results, follow their example.
Hey anonymous,
Thanks for your comments. And no I don't think we need people policing our rolls to make sure everybody is regenerate.
But one thing I do think we need to change is the Finney-esque let anybody who wants to just based on their word open door membership. How do we do that?
We take the time, one, to get to know each other, observing one another's faith lived out. James 2.14
14 What use is it, my brethren, if someone says he has faith but he has no works? Can that faith save him? 15 If a brother or sister is without clothing and in need of daily food, 16 and one of you says to them, "Go in peace, be warmed and be filled," and yet you do not give them what is necessary for their body, what use is that? 17 Even so faith, if it has no works, is dead, being by itself.
James 2:14-17 (NASB)
We can know if someone is of the faith or not.
Listen, I'm not saying we need to impose standard tests like the Pharisees had at all! But don't just let someone sit on the church roll who has been dead for years, or who has move to the otherside of the country and will never attend again. Inactive member? Please.
As far as mediocre, inneffective ministries go...Capital Hill Baptist, Bethlehem Baptist, Grace Community Church...just to name a couple that practice meaningful membership and make it, not impossible, but take a long look at the candidate before putting them on the roll. Who leads those churches you might ask? Mark Dever, John Piper, John Macarthur.
Yea, totally ineffective ministries.
Tree.
At 7:00 AM, 
C. T. Lillies
Tree,
First I'd just like say anonymous posters who don't leave their names are big chickens.
Secondly, you're on the right path brother keep it up. I'm still wondering about your sanity you know with that TurboHebrew thing. I'd rather be crazy and on the right path than sane and doctrinally correct.
Press on!
Josh
At 8:28 PM,
I have two simple questions:
1. Do you know of a book or other resource that effectively outlines a Biblical view of Church membership (i.e. a study of the instructions regarding C.M. in the Bible)
2. You said: "Membership should mean something. Not just cause momma was a member, but because Christ, who redeemed me and saved me, and called me His own (not-I called Him my own, He called me in His soverein grace!)."
Do you mean, by this statement, that Christ was a church member?
NOTE: i was going to post through my Blogger account but it really irks me when people disparage anonymous blogging. if issues are being discussed, then it should be of little consequence who the person is. the person might have other reasons for not posting with any identification (like for instance, they do not want any more links to their name ... links are used by the search engine's as they crawl the net ... there is a remote possibility that this could lead to identity theft).
NOTE 2: i do not condone the language and rhetoric used in the prior anonymous comment.
Hey anonymous (if that is who you really are-lol),
I can appreciate your questions and would answer them this way:
1. While I'm sure there are several books on church membership out there, probly one of the most knowledgable on biblical church membership that comes to mind would be Dr. Mark Dever. He has a fairly new book called "The Deliberate Church" which goes into how membership of church should be held to the scrutiny of what a believer should be against Scripture.
2. This question kind of made me scratch my bald head...no Jesus isn't a member of the church--He IS the church.
Ephesians 1:22-23 22 And He put all things under His feet, and gave Him to be head over all things to the church, 23 which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills all in all.
Ephesians 5:25-32 Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for her, 26 that He might sanctify and cleanse her with the washing of water by the word, 27 that He might present her to Himself a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that she should be holy and without blemish. 28 So husbands ought to love their own wives as their own bodies; he who loves his wife loves himself. 29 For no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as the Lord does the church. 30 For we are members of His body, of His flesh and of His bones. 31 "For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh." 32 This is a great mystery, but I speak concerning Christ and the church.
We are called to be a part of His body, His bride. If as a church (local body) we allow anyone to join, without any kind of knowledge of their faith, practice, and conversion, then we run another risk of associating light with dark
2 Corinthians 6:14 14 Do not be unequally yoked together with unbelievers. For what fellowship has righteousness with lawlessness? And what communion has light with darkness?
Hope this is some help.
As for the notes. Obviously I don't care if you wanna post anonymously. The only reason I wouldn't is if the spirit or attitude that the comment conveys is, well, rude. Personally if I'm gonna comment I generally put my name, and own up to what I say, again that's me. :)
Soli Deo Gloria,
Aaron "Tree" Landis
Aaron,
Ben Cole posted a link on his blog to your site. Looks good. This post is dead on with how many folks are feeling right now.
In 10 weeks, when you get a chance to look at this comment, :), think about adding The Pleasures of God, by John Piper, to your recommended reading list.
Trip Rodgers