Commitments

It's often been said that there are no perfect churches—and if the one I have recently joined was before, it certainly isn't now that I am a member.

It's easy to be cynical about "church," but regardless of how man has mangled the institution it is still, at its core, something valuable and necessary: the expression of Christ's body in the world. I, along with 35 or so others, was presented last night at the Sunday evening service as a new member of Calvary Church in Charlotte. There is precious little (if anything) about church "membership" in the New Testament, but things were different in the first century. There was not the "salad bar" or "shopping mall" mentality that modern Christianity has produced with our churches on every corner. Today, when many Christians prefer to visit churches indefinitely and never make a commitment—being a consumer rather than a producer—I support the idea of asking Christians to commit themselves to serve Christ and His body in a particular church.

At Calvary, I attended, along with 84 other prospective new members, six hours of "orientation" on the church's vision and doctrinal commitments, and met with three good men (lay leaders at the church) for an interview, and then was presented as a new member to the congregation. (Fortunately, the congregation didn't get to vote. Ha ha.)

I have always believed strongly in the biblical imperatives about local church involvement and have felt adrift over the last year as I looked for a church home. Calvary is not perfect, but that's not what I was looking for. I was looking for a church where Christ is exalted and the Bible is viewed as a book from God that guides faith and practice. And Calvary (along with many others) is that kind of church.