September 04, 2006
Family of God
To my bank I’m a 10 digit number, to the government I’m a nine digit number and to my insurance company I’m a 4 digit group number. One section of our monthly church newsletter is titled ‘Communication from the Elders…’ In the recent issue it says, “We also discussed how formal church membership is not a scriptural requirement; however, there is a practical need for identification in church mailings, etc.” Oh, I see…What we once cherished as belonging to the Family of God has just been reduced to nothing more than a mailing list. Actually I can understand how appealing this concept might be to staff, leaders and elders. After all, there’s less effort required from the elder to follow the Biblical requirements of his office when he doesn’t have to know a sheep from a goat. If membership is now not important, why then, did the elders recently terminate the membership of a couple in our church? I’m not sure they can have it both ways.
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Gail;
----You can have it both ways when God has granted it to you to make the rules. Some translations slaughter I Timothy 5:17 to refer to the elders "...who rule well." I like the NIV, "...who direct the affairs of the church well." To many, the difference may be slight, but it holds more in accord with Jesus' concept that those who would be the greatest must be the least.
----The leaders at that church are very squeamish about any reference to the church being their church. I geuss we get to see more and more as they move on that no matter what their mouths say, their actions agree that it indeed is their church.
----Char is very sure now that she never wishes to put ink to another church membership role. I have always been of that mind, and I still can't figure out how my name wound up on the roles of that church.
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