Our Meaning of Membership
Our Meaning of Membership
Qualifications
Any person:
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- who has trusted Jesus Christ as his/her Savior and is willing to receive the ordinance of water baptism, if not already.
- who gives assurance of his/her desire to live a consistent Christian life and gives assurance of his/her willingness to follow the spiritual leadership of this Church.
- who shows a satisfactory attitude to the Statement of Faith, shall be eligible for membership in this Church. Children who have trusted Jesus Christ as their Savior, and are willing to receive the ordinance of water baptism if not already completed, may be received into the membership of the Church.
Those who were former members, but who have had the membership removed or placed on the inactive status because of non-discipline-related reasons (such as having moved away from this community but having now returned), must be reviewed for membership by the Elder board (Senior Pastor when there is yet no Elder board established) or a group delegated by the Elder Board or Senior Pastor, to determine if they are still eligible for membership of Community of Faith Bible Church. Community of Faith Bible Church does not accept membership transfer from other churches. All who wish to become members of the Church must meet conditions i) through iii) as stated above.
Procedure for Membership
The Elder Board (Senior Pastor only when there is no Elder Board at the time) or its designated body shall be responsible for approving all candidates for membership. This procedure shall include all candidates attending and participating from beginning to end in the sanctioned membership seminar, maturity seminar, ministry seminar, missions seminar, and money management seminar of Community of Faith Bible Church and an interview with the Senior Pastor/Elder Board or its designated body after candidates have attended and participated from beginning to end in the sanctioned membership, maturity, ministry, missions and money management seminars. Upon final and full approval for membership by Senior Pastor / Elder Board or its designated body, the new members will be publicly recognized and received into the Membership of Community of Faith Bible Church.
Responsibilities and Privileges of Membership
In becoming a member of Community of Faith Bible Church, one is expressing a desire to attend its services regularly; to contribute financially with cheer to the support this Church and its missionary commitments around the world. He/she also endeavors to labor and walk together in Christian love, manifesting the Spirit of Christ in all his/her dealings with one another, refraining from gossiping and backbiting. He/she endeavors to watch over and care for one another, aiding each other in sickness and distress. In other words, he/she agrees to devote themselves to magnification, membership, maturity, ministry, and missions within the Community of Faith Bible Church and to separate oneself from all questionable amusements and all personal habits which war against the soul.
Members have the privilege of approaching leadership to discuss any and all matters pertaining to church matters or the member’s personal matters within the appropriate settings and time as ordained and establish by the Elders (Senior Pastor when Elders are not yet established). Members have the privilege of requesting support of any kind pertaining to those things that would fit the role and design of the church as described by Scripture (not necessarily receiving what they request). Members have the privilege of requesting and receiving biblical counseling as developed or authorized by the Senior Pastor and Elders.
- The Elder Board (Senior Pastor when Elder Board is not yet established)/and or the designated leadership team shall be responsible for routine review of the membership roll and may move all names of members who are not active to inactive status, or completely drop them from the roll as they deem appropriate based on the afore-mentioned reasons with the approval of the Elder Board (Senior Pastor when Elder Board has not yet been established).
Non-Member
A non-member and regular attendee that is also a non-member, or any other individual may be notified that he or she is not to be present upon church premises for such a period of time as is deemed necessary for the safety and well-being of others on church premises or as a result of an unwillingness to submit to submit to the character, conduct, conversations, or commitments becoming of a Christian, or as a result of an unwillingness to follow God ordain authority within the Community of Faith Bible Church as that authority is acting within the Biblical guidelines of his/ her authority and not asking the person to sin.
Active Member
Active membership shall be composed of those who qualify under Section 1 above, and who regularly attend and participate in magnification, membership, maturity, ministry and missions within the Community of Faith Bible Church.
Inactive Member
The resident inactive members shall be composed of those who are irregular in attendance and lack participation in the magnification, membership, maturity, ministry and missions within the Community of Faith Bible Church without cause. Those who no longer reside in this community may have his/her membership removed when requested. They will be advised to seek active membership in a church in their new community.
Disputes among Members, Regular Attendees and Leaders of the Church
All leaders, members, persons interested in becoming a member of Community of Faith Bible Church, or regular attendees, or ones considering or pursuing membership, must agree to handle all matters that are non-criminal according to the guidelines of Matthew 18:15-17 and 1 Corinthians 6:1-11 in order to be a part of and/or fellowship at Community of Faith Bible Church. If the matter or dispute cannot be resolved with one another accordingly, all parties involved agree to resolve the matter or dispute by submitting to the Conflict Resolution Team of Community of Faith Bible Church as organized or approved by the Elder Board( Senior Pastor when Elder Board has not yet been established) for full and final resolution and conciliation. All parties must agree not to take the matter to any secular court system but to submit to the counsel and direction of the Conflict Resolution Team of Community Faith Bible Church as organized or approved by the Elder Board (Senior Pastor when Elder Board has not yet been established) (1 Corinthians 6:1-7).
Grounds for Removal from Membership Roster of Community of Faith Bible Church / Grounds for Being Barred from Fellowship at the Local Assembly of Community of Faith Bible Church
Members may be removed from the Membership Roster or barred from fellowship at the local assembly of Community of Faith Bible Church for any of the following reasons:
- Joining another Church (removed from the roll as a member not barred from church fellowship unless joining another church was out of rebellion and unrepentant sin not resolved at Community of Faith Bible Church)
- Death
- Requesting that his/her name be dropped from the roll (removed from the roll as a member not barred from church fellowship unless unrepentant sin is involved)
- Absence from the worship services of the Church for an extended period of time without valid reasons or reasons that are not deemed feasible or reasonable according to Scripture (removed from the roll as member not barred from church fellowship unless unrepentant sin is involved)
- No longer residing in this community (removed from the roll as a member not barred from church fellowship unless unrepentant sin is involved)
- Lack of participation in magnification, membership, maturity, ministry, mission with the Community of Faith Bible Church for an extended period time for reasons that are not deemed feasible or reasonable according to Scripture (removed from the roll as a member, barred from church fellowship until repentance occurs)
- Ungodly, immoral lifestyle, unwillingness to submit to character, conduct, conversations or commitments becoming of a Christian (removed from the roll as a member, barred from church fellowship until repentance occurs)
- An unwillingness to follow God ordained authority within Community of Faith Bible Church as that authority is acting within the Biblical guidelines of his/her authority and not asking the person to sin. (removed from roll as a member, barred from church fellowship until repentance occurs)
- Church discipline (removed from roll as a member, barred from church fellowship until repentance occurs)
Purpose and Procedure for Church Discipline of members and attendees
The threefold purpose of church discipline is to glorify God by maintaining purity in the local church (1 Corinthians 5:6), to edify believers by deterring sin (1 Timothy 5:20), and to promote the spiritual welfare of the offending believer by calling him or her to return to a biblical standard of doctrine and conduct (Galatians 6:1).
Members of this church and all other professing Christians who regularly attend or fellowship with this church who promote, encourage, or advocate false doctrine, refuse to regard the authority of the Church in matters pertaining to doctrine, discipline, government etc., continually cause strife or contention within the Church, or who engage in conduct that violates Scripture within the church and outside the church as determined by the Board of Elders (Senior Pastor when Elder Board has not yet been established), shall be subject to church discipline, including dismissal according to Matthew 18:15-18. (Galatians 1:9, 2 John 10, 1 Corinthians 11:16, Romans 16:17, 1 Corinthians 5:11)
Before such dismissal, however, it shall be the duty of any member of this church who has knowledge of the erring individual’s heresy or misconduct to warn and correct such erring individual in private, seeking his or her repentance and restoration. If the erring individual does not heed this warning, then
- the warning member shall again go to the erring individual, seeking his or her repentance, but accompanied by one or two individuals who shall confirm that the sin has occurred or is continuing to occur, and/or that the erring individual has been appropriately confronted and has refused to repent. The first and second warnings may occur with no specified time interval. If the erring individual still refuses to heed this warning, then it shall be brought to the attention of the Board of Elders (Senior Pastor when Elder Board has not yet been established) (or a duly appointed Committee of the Board). If the Board of Elders (Senior Pastor when Elder Board has not yet been established) (or a duly appointed Committee of the Board determines–after thorough investigation in accord with the procedures prescribed by pertinent Scripture, including Matthew 18:15-18 and 1 Timothy 5:19–that there is corroborating evidence that the erring individual has sinned or is continuing to sin, that he or she has been appropriately confronted, and that he or she has refused to repent, then at the exercise of their discretion the Elder Board (Senior Pastor when Elder Board has not yet been established) or Elders may do one of two things:
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- may inform the church and the congregation thereof at a regularly scheduled worship service of the offense(s) of the erring member, steps the leadership (Senior Pastor or Elders) has taken to address the matter in relationship to the erring member and ask the church in general or particular individuals within the church who knew the erring member well to call the erring individual to repentance within a certain period of time. If within that certain period of time the erring individual demonstrates repentance, then notice to that effect may be given at a regularly-scheduled worship service.
- If, however, within that certain period of time the erring individual does not repent in response to the church in its collective call to repentance, then he or she shall be publicly dismissed and barred from the fellowship and/or membership of the church and the congregation thereof at a regularly scheduled worship service. If the erring individual, after such dismissal, heeds the warning, demonstrates repentance, and requests reinstatement before the Senior Pastor or Board of Elders when elder board is established (or a duly appointed Committee of the Board), then he or she shall be publicly restored to all the rights, duties, privileges, and responsibilities of fellowship and/or membership may inform the church and congregation thereof at a regularly scheduled worship service of the offense(s) and the steps the leadership (Senior Pastor or Elders)has taken to address the matter and publicly dismiss/bar the erring member from the fellowship and/or membership of the church and the congregation thereof. If the erring individual, after such dismissal, heeds the warning, demonstrates repentance, and requests reinstatement before the Senior Pastor or Board of Elders when Elder Board is established (or a duly appointed Committee of the Board), then he or she shall be publicly restored to all the rights, duties, privileges, and responsibilities of fellowship and/or membership.
The members of this church, and all other professing Christians who regularly attend or fellowship with this church, agree that there shall be no appeal to any court because of the dismissal or because of public statements to the congregation. Members, who are under discipline by the church, as defined in the previous paragraphs, forfeit and waive the right to resign from this church while in the midst of church discipline. Resignations from membership are possible only by members who are in good standing and who are not under any disciplinary action
Members who are under discipline by the church will be barred from fellowship and are not allowed on the campus or any church sanctioned fellowship activities until they have repented and followed the procedures for reinstatement for the church
Members in good standing are to not spend time in fellowship, contact or to socially gather with members who are under discipline by the church; If they encounter members under discipline by the church their goal is to call them to repentance and show love to them accordingly.
If the members who are under discipline by the church are persons a member in good standing are married to, work for, work with, live with, or are family members, the member in good standing is to treat the person as if he/she was an unbeliever seeking to love and lead them into a right relationship with God when appropriate to do so. They are not to bring or include the erring member in any church related activities; Therefore, the member in good standing must consider when planning any church related activity in their home or workplace how this could create problems between the erring member and those members in good standing and choose to do something different if it will involve having members in good standing fellowshipping with the erring member.
Separate and apart from the process of church discipline, but subject to the discretion and approval of the Senior Pastor or elders when elder board is established (or a duly constituted subcommittee thereof), a member, non-member regular attendee, or other individual may be notified that he or she is not to be present upon church premises for such a period of time as is deemed necessary for the safety and well-being of others on church premises. Such required absence may, but need not, be concurrent with church discipline of that person.
Separate and apart from the process of church discipline, but subject to the discretion and approval of the Senior Pastor or elders when elder board is established (or a duly constituted subcommittee thereof), the names of any members who have not attended a worship service, or been involved in the magnification, membership, maturity, ministry, and missions of the Community of Faith Bible Church for a period of six months or longer may be removed from the membership rolls.