Church Membership at RBC

Introduction: We are so glad that you are considering church membership at this time and do encourage you to carefully read through this material! The purpose of this brief paper is to examine what it means to be a church member within the community of believers at Riverton Baptist Community Church . We need to remind ourselves that we belong to the wider ‘Church of Jesus Christ’ universal and that our church community here is the local expression of that body. As a congregation, we believe Jesus Christ is our Lord and Saviour. Our services thus seek to honour and praise God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, through song, prayer and faithfully obeying his will, as revealed in the Bible. We are seeking to build a loving and caring community of believers, while at the same time reaching out to our local community and beyond.

Baptist Principles: Baptists trace their origins to the time of the Protestant Reformation in Europe . The first Baptist church gathered in London in 1611. Today there are some 80 million members in over 150 countries throughout the world, sharing the following distinctives:

1. The Lordship of Christ: We affirm the need for personal faith in Christ and that our final authority in faith and practice is Jesus Christ, as revealed in the Bible. Christ today is present amongst his people through the Holy Spirit.

2. The Authority of Scripture: We recognize the Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments as the primary authority for knowing God’s revelation in Christ in matters of faith and conduct. In this sense we are what is termed ‘evangelical’ in outlook. We believe that the Bible is to be interpreted in the light of its historical and cultural context. Each individual is encouraged to come to their own personal understanding of the Word of God and seek to live in accordance with what they believe.

3. Congregational Government: We understand the Church to be a fellowship of believers, all equal in standing, sharing the table of the Lord.

4. Believers Baptism: We practice baptism, for believers only, into the Body of Christ.

5. Autonomy of the Local Church : We affirm the freedom and the responsibility of each local congregation to discover the purpose of Christ for its own life and work. Our church is self-governing but part of the Baptist family of churches of WA.

6. Priesthood of all Believers: We affirm the ‘priesthood of all believers’, in which all members of the church are called to ministry; with some among us called to exercise spiritual leadership, which is always to be understood as serving.

7. Church Membership and Interdependence: We believe that the mutual commitment expressed in baptism and in membership of the local church should lead to wider partnerships between churches wherever possible.

8. World Mission : We believe that every Christian disciple is called to witness to the Lordship of Jesus Christ, and that the Church as a part of God’s Kingdom is to share in the whole mission of God in the world. To this end we are firmly committed to world mission (Matt 28:18-20).

9. Liberty of Conscience and Separation of Church and State: We affirm the need to preserve freedom of conscience, and so we accept differences among us. We stand for the separation of church and state, rooted in the sole lordship of Christ and concern for religious liberty.

10. The Return of Christ: As Christian believers, we live in hope of the final appearing of Christ in glory, and the transformation of all creation.

As a Baptist church we have sought to frame our distinctives in our Constitution. This should be carefully read so that you are aware of these distinctives.

What is the ‘Church”? The Biblical Greek word for church is ekklesia, which means ‘assembly’ or ‘called out ones’. It refers to the gathering of the people of God. See 1 Peter 2:9. A local church, such as Riverton Baptist, could be seen as a group of believers in the Lord Jesus Christ organized in a local community to do the work of Christ. Some biblical examples of such churches are seen in Acts 2:41 when “3000 were added to the church”, Acts 8:1,3, 12:1 when the church was persecuted and Acts 13:1 where the church sent out Paul and Barnabas.

Such groups of local believers were to gather together for worship and to go out into the world to share the Good News of Christ. This is reflected in the various statements we have made about ourselves:

Our Motto: Jesus Christ makes the difference – now and in eternity

Our Vision: A growing family of believers passionately devoted to Jesus Christ

Our Mission : To know Christ and make Him known, by what we are, say and do

The kind of church we would like to be is a church that is:

Committed to God – on a journey of seeking to know and love God and to honor Him with our lives.

Committed to God’s Word, the Bible – it is the inspired Word of God and the solid rock on which we build our lives.

Committed to each other – as we move together on a journey of faith.

Committed to growth – in the power of the Holy Spirit we seek to be prepared and equipped for ministry in our world.

To some extent this describes the church now but in another sense it is a picture of the church that we aspire to be.

Responsible Membership: There is something very special when believers who gather together in a local fellowship are willing to commit themselves to each other and to Christ in membership. It speaks of a deeper level of involvement and mutual accountability. There are both privileges and responsibilities involved in being a member. See the relevant sections of the constitution where these expectations are expressed. In particular, read Section 6:2 which speaks of membership responsibilities. Being a member of a local fellowship thus allows for a greater participation in the daily life of the church as we seek together to see God’s kingdom extended.

Responsible members are those who support the life and ministry of the church by:

1. Maintaining their own spiritual life through such activities as prayer and study of God’s Word.

2. Leading a Christ-like lifestyle.

3. Seeking to share their faith in Christ with others.

4. Engaging in ministry in the life of the church.

5. Attending a worship service each Sunday whenever possible.

6. Being an active member of a Home Group.

7. Contributing financially to ministry of the church. The Old Testament principle of tithing remains a good guide for us today.

8. Being involved in the decision making process of the church, especially through attendance at Members’ Meetings.

Church Government: As a Baptist Church we believe in the priesthood of all believers. This means that we can each come to God directly through Christ. On this basis we all have the same rights in the governing of our church. The members’ meeting is the coming together of members who are seeking the will of God on the matters at hand. These meetings are held four times a year and members are asked to show their support by being present. At the Annual General Meeting, leaders are elected to fill the various leadership responsibilities. During the times between meetings, the pastors, elders, deacons and other elected leaders ensure that the church functions smoothly.

The Eldership, which is made up of the pastors and elders, has the spiritual oversight of the church. The Deaconate, which is made up of the deacons, is responsible for the administration of the church. Our various church ministries are based on teams. A ministry team is a small group of people, which is given the responsibility for a significant area of ministry in the life of the church. Each team has a leader, with the Senior Pastor being the coordinator of the teams. Teams are autonomous but accountable to the leadership of the church, which in turn is accountable to the members.

As a Baptist Church we observe two ordinances, namely baptism and communion.

Baptism: Baptist churches practice ‘believers baptism’ where the emphasis is on ‘believers’ who identify themselves with Christ as Lord and Saviour. Read in particular the following accounts of baptism in the Bible: Acts 2:41, 8:12-5, 37, 9:17-19, 10:47-48, 16:14-15, 31-33, 18:8, 19:5. Baptism is a public declaration of acknowledging Christ as Lord of your life. It is an acted sermon of obedience that declares a new allegiance. It speaks of repentance from the old life (Acts 22:16), submission to Christ as Lord ( Rom. 10:9), a picture of cleansing from sin ( Rom. 6:1-14), of ownership by Christ (Gal. 3:27), and that we are now in union with Christ and his people (Gal. 3:28). Baptism speaks of a new beginning with God (Gal. 3:23-29) and of a pledge of loyalty to God (1 Peter 3:18-22). For more details, ask to see the paper “Baptism at Riverton Baptist Church ”.

Communion (The Lord’s Supper): We view communion as a memorial meal or celebration in remembrance of Christ. This celebration is normally included as part of our worship services to show our fellowship together in remembrance.

The institution of communion by Christ himself is recorded in Matt. 26:26-30, Mark 14:1-26 and Luke 22:14-20. Paul includes teaching concerning communion in 1 Cor. 11:17-34, where warnings are given against abuse of the ordinance. The bread symbolizes the body of Christ given for us and the grape juice refers to the blood of Christ shed for us. We normally eat the bread separately, signifying our own relationship with Christ and then drink the cup together to signify our common fellowship together as God’s people.

We have an ‘open table’ at communion where we invite all believers present to share. It is not restricted to members only. It is a time for self-examination (1 Cor. 11:28), of recollection on what Christ has done and of proclamation of the Lord’s death until he comes (1 Cor. 11:26).

Further Reading

Beasley-Murray, P., Radical Believers (Oxfordshire: The Baptist Union of G.B. , 1992)

European Baptist Federation What are Baptists? (Study Paper of the EBF 1993)

Fricket, H.L., A Layman’s Guide to Baptist Beliefs (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1965)

West, W.M.S., Baptist Principles (London: The Baptist Union of G.B. & Ireland, 1960)

Pastor CF Meadows

Riverton Baptist Church

Back to Reading and Education page.

HOME