Categories: uncategorized
Date: 09 July 2007 13:17:31
Our return to Chapel yesterday was greeted with open arms. The lady on the door greeted us by saying: "It's good to see you again. We've really missed you." We'd missed 3 Sundays due to FW being ill for one week and then our 2 weekends away in Yorkshire. For once it sounded like a genuine welcome rather than an accusatory one one, that you'd get at a lot of churches.
We'd also asked the Church Secretary to begin the process of moving our membership from our old Chapel to the new one. As such we now have to attend a meeting with the deaconate a week Friday to see if we are suitable candidates for membership and help lead their youth work.
I've never had to go through this before, having been a member/attendee of the same church for 30 years. I can't wait to see what questions they ask. I hope they don't ask about my feelings on Calvinism, I'm probably too heretical to get in on that criteria.
From what we've heard from other members/deacons here, this can be very difficult as the deaconate are split on membership criteria. Many Baptist churches will not accept people into membership who have not been "through the waters". An Anglican confirmation/christening would not be seen as an acceptable alternative. This was something that the deaconate at our old Chapel used to argue about every year.
For those who are unaware I'll explain.
Like much in life, the Baptist church has a two tier membership system. Full Members are those who have gone "through the waters" (i.e. been fully immersed through Baptism) and Communicant Members are those who are attenders who take communion but have not made a public declaration of their faith via Baptism.
In Chapels I've attended a Communicant Member has the same rights as a Full Member but can't vote on choosing a new minister. Some Chapels also disallow Communicant Members from voting at Church meetings or on the election of church officers; or even holding a church office.
It seems very odd to outsiders but it is how Baptists distinguish themselves from other denominations. After all Jesus was baptised prior to the start of His ministry therefore all other believers should be as well.