Membership at First Baptist Church of Ceres
Requirements of Members
The membership of this church shall only consist of persons who:
a. Have received the Lord Jesus Christ as their personal Savior.
b. Have been baptized by immersion since their salvation.
c. Agree with our Church Covenant, Doctrinal Statement and Constitution, or be willing to fully submit to them without teaching contrary or being divisive.
d. Are not being disciplined by another church.
Procedure for Membership
All persons applying for membership shall:
a. Meet the requirements of Section 1.
b. Make their desire of membership known to one of the pastors, overseers or deacons and complete a written membership application, or if writing is a problem be given an oral interview that covers the same issues.
c. Complete a New Members instruction/class prior to joining.
d. Be interviewed by two or more board members and unanimously approved by the church board.
e. Candidates for membership shall have their names posted and listed in the bulletin as Candidates for Membership for a minimum of one month prior to being received into membership. During this trial period any member having a question about the candidate’s conversion testimony, Christian character or doctrinal beliefs, should address these matters directly to the candidate or to members of the church board.
f. Be unanimously approved by the Church Board for membership.
g. Be given the right hand of fellowship.
Reception of Members
Members shall be received by:
a. Their statement of faith, water baptism, and unanimous approval by the Board or,
b. Restoration after discipline upon satisfactory evidence given of Scriptural repentance and confession to the church—to be determined by the Church Board.
Denial of Membership
If, upon review of an application for membership or after meeting with a prospective member, the Church Board determines that the candidate does not sincerely confess Jesus Christ as his or her Lord and Savior, or that there is a lack of evidence of a godly lifestyle, membership shall be denied. The decision made by the Board shall be final and there shall be no appeal to any court from that decision.
Duties of Members
a. Members shall seek to exercise their spiritual gifts for the mutual benefit of the church body and shall submit to the loving rule of the church overseers.
b. Members shall endeavor to preserve the unity of the church, and if at any time they find themselves in opposition and unable to support the fundamental doctrines of this church (as stated in Article V), they will not seek to disrupt its fellowship, but will quietly withdraw from its membership.
c. Members shall strive to consistently attend the regularly scheduled meetings of the church, to work of its edification, to guard its good name for Christ’s sake in the community, to contribute joyfully as they purpose in their hearts and according to their individual abilities (2 Corinthians 9:5-8; Mark 12:43)
Dismissal of Members
A member may be removed from the roll by the decision of the church board for the reasons stated in Section 5 (Denial of membership), for the reasons of church disciple (see Section 7), or for the following:
a. A written request from the member, provided he is not being disciplined.
b. Members, who for a period of three months, willingly and regularly absent themselves from the services of the church, may, by action of the board, be placed upon an inactive roll. They shall be notified, if possible, prior to such an action. Any placed upon this roll shall not be entitled to vote at any business meeting and shall not be included in its numerical reports. An effort shall be made to restore such an one to the fellowship of the church. Such persons shall also be entitled to appeal before the Church Board in person or by letter. Those who have been on the inactive roll for three months and fail to attend the services of the church, may be removed from membership by unanimous vote of the Church Board.
c. Disciplinary action.
Church Discipline
a. We believe the Bible gives a threefold purpose of church disciple:
To glorify God by maintaining purity in the local church and a regenerate membership (1 Corinthians 5:6).
To edify believers by deterring sin (1 Timothy 5:20).
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).
b. Members of this church and all other professing Christians who regularly attend or fellowship with this church who err in doctrine, or who engage in conduct that violates Scripture as determined by the Chruch Board, shall be subject to church discipline, including dismissal according to Matthew 18:15-18. Before such a dismissal, however, (1) 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 (2) 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 (3) it shall be brought to the attention of the Church Board. If the CHurch Board determines—after a 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 the board shall inform the church and the congregation thereof at a regularly scheduled worship service in order that the church may call the erring individual to repentance. If the erring individual demonstrates repentance, then notice to that effect may be given at a regularly scheduled worship service. If, however, the erring individual does not repent in response to the church in its collective call to repentance, then (4) he or shell shall be publically dismissed 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 Chruch Board, then he or shell shall be publically restored to all the rights, duties, privileges, and responsibilities of fellowship and/or membership.
c. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Church Board in the exercise of their discretion may proceed directly to the third stage of church discipline, (i.e. the informing of the church and the congregation thereof at a regularly scheduled worship service in order that the church may call the erring individual to repentance) or to the fourth stage of church discipline, (i.e. the dismissal from the fellowship and/or membership of the church) when one or more of the following have occurred:
Where the transgression and refusal to repent have been public (i.e. openly and to the offense of the whole Church—1 Corinthians 5:1-5)
Where the disciplined party has taught or otherwise disseminated doctrine deemed false or erroneous by the Church Board, then chosen to disregard the direction and reproof of the pastor(s) and members of the Church Board (Romans 16:17).
Where the disciplined party has been warned twice to cease from factious and divisive conduct and has chosen to disregard that warning (Titus 3:10-11).
d. 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 at the third or fourth stages of church discipline. Members who are under discipline by the church, as defined in the previous paragraphs, forfeit and waive the right to resign from this church. Resignations from membership are possible only by members who are in good standing and who are not under any disciplinary action.
e. Separate and apart from the process of church discipline, but subject to the discretion and approval of the Church Board a member, non-member regular attender, 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.
f. Separate and apart from the process of church discipline, but subject to the discretion and approval of the Church Board, the names of any members who have not been in regular attendance of our services, Sunday School class sessions or Fellowship Group meetings for a period of six months or longer may be removed from the membership rolls.