Why are church membership and discipline important?
New release addresses 40 of the most common
and thorny questions about church life
Does church membership mean more than simply
joining a social group? Does the church have a responsibility to discipline its
members — and if so, what does that look like? In 40 Questions about Church
Membership and Discipline (Kregel Academic/May 27, 2017/ISBN 978-0-8254-4445-6/$18.99), Dr. Jeremy
Kimble recognizes and addresses the many puzzling questions about the
critical role of the church in the life of believers.
The latest release in Kregel’s 40 questions
series edited by Benjamin L. Merkle, each section considers questions of
theology, ministry and practicality. This book raises — and clearly answers — the
most common and difficult questions church leaders and members have. With
succinct chapters, 40 Questions about
Church Membership and Church Discipline is a practical resource for any
church leader, elder board, seminary student or new member seeking a
foundational understanding of how the church should function.
“Church membership is not solely about what you can get
out of a church. Instead, membership points us toward commitment and mutual
accountability,” explains Kimble. “When we join the membership of a local
church, we are agreeing to be overseen in our discipleship and oversee others
in their discipleship. As such, the idea of membership goes beyond mere
attendance and even ministry involvement. At its heart, church membership is
about a group of people committed to one another, who will continually oversee
and exhort one another toward ever-increasing godliness.”
Among the 40 questions Kimble examines are:
·
Is there a New Testament precedent for
membership?
·
How does membership relate to baptism and
communion?
·
Who should become a member?
·
How is discipline related to discipleship?
·
Should a believer associate with someone
under church discipline?
Church discipline is an often thorny topic,
but Kimble describes discipline as a proper demonstration of the biblical
concept of love. He writes that God disciplines those whom he loves (Hebrews
12:6–11), and thus a church who claims to love its members without disciplining
them contradicts Scripture and offers a different kind of love than God does. Church discipline
can potentially be a painful process, but as a spiritual family we are called
to work through such matters faithfully and gently.
“The main message of the book is that church
membership and discipline are essential components to the health of a local
church, since they are a distinct means of pursuing discipleship, holiness,
love and perseverance in the faith,” Kimble offers.
Learn
more about 40 Questions about Church
Membership and Church Discipline and the other books in the 40 Questions series at www.kregel.com.
About the
Author
Dr.
Jeremy Kimble (PhD, Southeastern Baptist Theological
Seminary) is Assistant Professor of Theological Studies at Cedarville
University in Cedarville, OH. He is passionate about teaching college students,
as well as the local church, the truth of God’s Word.
Dr. Kimble’s hope is that through his
courses, students will seek to love God and others, rightly understand the
grand narrative of Scripture and apply theological truths to everyday life. He is
committed to teaching in the classroom as well as mentoring students in smaller
settings. His research interests include ecclesiology, eschatology, biblical
theology, worldview and the theology of Jonathan Edwards.
He served in pastoral ministry for eight
years and currently serves as an elder at Grace Baptist Church in Cedarville.
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