Does Your Church Have Formal Membership?

[Bro. Robbins]

Originally Posted by acerrak

i really dont agree with this my self. no such thing ever existed in the bible. and limiting votes to tithers is really showing favortism.

so though i understand where you are comming from, your getting away from the Voice of God going to, we the people.

If we single people out we do no service to God cause we are making " figurative" the poor man sit on the floor, while we reserve a seat for the richman.

The church i attend. the preacher will tell you he cares less if you tithe or give money. He knows the bills have to get paid, but he isnt gonna bash people for not paying tithes or limit them because they dont give.

That is between them and God not him and man. so i personally disagree with this view. I think this is the fault of catholicism and what the reformation took from it. Though i have took a pledge like you stated in the church of God, i can look back now and not agree withit. I was young in the Lord and i figured that church would have stayed my home.

However when a new pastor took over I new i didnt want to stay there anymore cause of what was happening behind the pullpit. so i left that pledge.

My allegiance is to Jesus Christ and in that i will find people in the Body where ever I go.

LOL, was waiting for the "wasn't in the Bible" reply... neither were keyboards, electric lights, air conditioning or pa systems, but they sure are tools that are helpful....lol.

As far as the poor man, rich man... that's a bit of a bad analogy.... that would mean the more one gives the more of a vote the man gets. Not so... it's just saying, those who do not invest in that local assembly shouldn't get equal vote of those who do. They don't tie the vote to the amount of the tithe, but whether or not the person tithes.

But to be in good standing, you also have to be faithful in attendance, and other items. A person could be a member of a church (have their name on the roll), but have not been there in 2 years.... that would be a member "not in good standing.". So they wouldn't have a vote either. See, church's that have formal membership can't remove someone from their rolls except for certain, distinct reasons.... so they then have to have members in good standing or not classifications.