BULLETIN NOTES – OCTOBER 29, 2000

THE MEANING OF MEMBERSHIP

(From the 1996 Book of Discipline)

When persons unite with a local United Methodist church, they, or, if unable to answer for themselves, their parent(s), legal guardian(s), sponsor(s) or godparent(s), profess their faith in God, the Father Almighty, maker of heaven and earth; in Jesus Christ his only Son, and in the Holy Spirit. Thus, they make known their desire to live their daily lives as disciples of Jesus Christ. They covenant together with God and with the members of the local church to keep the vows which are a part of the order of confirmation and reception into the Church:

1. To renounce the spiritual forces of wickedness, reject the evil powers of the world, and repent of their sin;
2. To accept the freedom and power God gives them to resist evil, injustice, and oppression;
3. To confess Jesus Christ as Savior, put their whole trust in his grace, and promise to serve him as their Lord;
4. To remain faithful members of Christ’s holy church and serve as Christ’s representatives in the world;
5. To be loyal to the United Methodist Church and do all in their power to strengthen its ministries;
6. To faithfully participate in its ministries by their prayers, their presence, their gifts, and their services;
7. To receive and profess the Christian faith as contained in the Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments.

Faithful membership in the local church is essential for personal growth and for developing a deeper commitment to the will and grace of God. As members involve themselves in private and public prayer, worship, the sacraments, study, Christian action, systematic giving, and holy discipline, they grow in their appreciation of Christ, understanding of God at work in history and the natural order, and an understanding of themselves.

Faithful discipleship includes the obligation to participate in the corporate life of the congregation with fellow members of the body of Christ. A member is bound to sacred covenant to shoulder the burdens, share the risks, and celebrate the joys of fellow members. A Christian is called to speak the truth in love, always ready to confront conflict in the spirit of forgiveness and reconciliation.

Each member of The United Methodist Church is to be a servant of Christ on mission in the local and worldwide community. This servanthood is performed in family life, daily work, recreation and social activities, responsible citizenship, the stewardship of property and accumulated resources, the issues of corporate life, and all attitudes toward other persons. Participation in disciplined groups is expected, also witnessing and offering the Christ of hope.

All members are to be held accountable for their faithfulness to their covenant and vows with God and the other members of the Church. Should any member violate the covenant and fail to keep the vows which the member entered into with God and the other members of the local church, it shall be the responsibility of the local church, working through its pastor, to minister to that person in an effort to enable the member to faithfully perform the vows and covenant of membership.