On Church Membership and Fencing the Lord’s Table
The following is the concluding paragraph of a position paper–from the 18th General Assembly of the PCA–on the issue of how ministers ought to fence the Lord’s Table. You can read the entire paper here:
“…the clear evidence of Scripture is that the church should keep a roll of members. The supreme model for our membership roll is the membership roll of heaven (Exodus 32:32,33; Daniel 12:1; Luke 10:20; Philippians 4:3; Revelation 13:8; 20:12,15). The Biblical pattern is for new believers to be “numbered” or “added to” the rolls of the local church (Acts 2:41,47; 6:7; 1 Timothy 5:9). Members could be taken away from the roll (1 Corinthians 5:2)- this indicates more than being physically barred, since even unbelievers could attend Christian worship (1 Corinthians 14:23) — or reinstated (2 Corinthians 2:6-7); it is impossible to have coherent discipline without such a roll. There was a widow’s roll for diaconal purposes (1 Timothy 5:9). Elders are to know their sheep, and are accountable for the care of the flock entrusted to them — this demands knowing who they are; that is, it demands a list or roll (Hebrews 13:7,17-18; 1 Thessalonians 5:11- 14; I Peter 5:2; Acts 20:28). The apostolic church utilized letters of transfer or commendation (Acts 18:27; Romans 16:1-2; 2 Corinthians 3:1; 8:23-24); examples of these letters include Philemon and 3 John. Interchurch business was conducted by people with reference letters (1 Corinthians 16:3; 2 Corinthians 8:16-24). We conclude therefore that requiring professed believers to be enrolled as members of an evangelical church as a condition for taking the Lord’s Supper is consistent with sound Biblical practice.”1
1. Report of the Ad Interim Committee on Fencing the Lord’s Table (18th General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church in America, 1990) p. 170.
About Post Author
Those of us in non-confessional vanilla Evangelical churches should take heed.
In the usual “fencing” that we hear, there is the “you may take [the supper] if you have accepted Christ as your savior while sitting here now”.
No reference to Baptism or union with the visible church.
I once encouraged a woman to become a member at the PCA church she attends regularly so that she could participate in the Lord’s Supper. She informed me that her membership in a Roman Catholic Church in South Korea should suffice for “membership in an evangelical church.” I know the PCA accepts Roman Catholic baptism. How about Roman Catholic Church membership?
This paper is on the right track until the end.
To require for communion that someone be a member of this church… or of *another* body (which holds to teaching about the church and its ministry, contrary to our own) seems obviously problematic!
When a member of *another* body is admitted to communion, when that member and/or that body contradict your church’s own confession, this is disregarding the very Bible teaching you profess to hold.
Confessional Presbyterian & Reformed churches used to understand this.
Baus,
We do not make getting into the local church any more difficult than getting into Heaven, nor do we make taking communion more exclusive than membership in a Gospel preaching church. I am sorry to hear how narrowly exclusive your views are concerning this matter. When Philip asked the Ethiopian Eunuch if he believed that Jesus was the Son of God, he did not make him subscribe to a creed or confession written 1500 years later in order to be baptized and received into the body of Christ.
That being said, I fully subscribe to the Westminster Standards and am philosophically against allowing exceptions for ministers in Presbyterian and Reformed denominations.