PCA Church Membership

[re4med]

One of the thoughts I have been wrestling with is "what exactly does one have to believe to be a member of the local church (PCA)"? What are the minimal requirements? For instance, one could make the argument that the only thing required is a credible profession of faith before duly constituted elders (PCA BCO 6). What that looks like may vary from church to church; session to session. The PCA website offers this expression as to "what we believe":

We believe the Bible is the written word of God, inspired by the Holy Spirit and without error in the original manuscripts. The Bible is the revelation of God’s truth and is infallible and authoritative in all matters of faith and practice.
We believe in the Holy Trinity. There is one God, who exists eternally in three persons: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
We believe that all are sinners and totally unable to save themselves from God’s displeasure, except by His mercy.
We believe that salvation is by God alone as He sovereignly chooses those He will save. We believe His choice is based on His grace, not on any human individual merit, or foreseen faith.
We believe that Jesus Christ is the eternal Son of God, who through His perfect life and sacrificial death atoned for the sins of all who will trust in Him, alone, for salvation.
We believe that God is gracious and faithful to His people not simply as individuals but as families in successive generations according to His Covenant promises.
We believe that the Holy Spirit indwells God’s people and gives them the strength and wisdom to trust Christ and follow Him.
We believe that Jesus will return, bodily and visibly, to judge all mankind and to receive His people to Himself.
We believe that all aspects of our lives are to be lived to the glory of God under the Lordship of Jesus Christ.

As you can see, various aspects of the Apostle's Creed is contained in this expression. Perhaps it would be beneficial to examine potential members into the visible church under the microscope of the ecumenical creeds. In a sense the above statement is simply the PCA's own version of a "creed" as accepted by all the churches in her denomination at a minimal level.

Thoughts?

 

[fredtgreco]

The requirements are a credible profession of faith and an assent to the five vows. If you examine them closely, you will see that they are Trinitarian in nature:

1. Do you acknowledge yourselves to be sinners in the sight of God, justly deserving His displeasure, and without hope save in His sovereign mercy?
2. Do you believe in the Lord Jesus Christ as the Son of God, and Savior of sinners, and do you receive and rest upon Him alone for salvation as He is offered in the Gospel?
3. Do you now resolve and promise, in humble reliance upon the grace of the Holy Spirit, that you will endeavor to live as becomes the followers of Christ?
4. Do you promise to support the Church in its worship and work to the best of your ability?
5. Do you submit yourselves to the government and discipline of the Church, and promise to study its purity and peace?

This was further the position of the Overtures Committee in 2007 (which I chaired) and the PCA GA when it rejected an Overture to amend the vows.

 

[Scott1]

A good church membership class will draw out the nature of the vows. It's important not to take vows lightly, and there is a lot in the PCA vows, a lot, but not too much.

Here's what is required, in my summary understanding:

1) an examined, credible profession of faith (Does the person understand and rely on the Gospel for salvation)
2) a profession of faith in front of others (elders or congregation)
3) a vow to walk, by God's grace, an orderly Christian life
4) a promise to support the church (time, prayers, finances)
5) a promise to submit to the governing of the church and her discipline (church polity and church discipline)
6) a promise to study her doctrine peaceably (study its peace and purity)

That's a lot to ask, but not too much in my understanding. It protects the vital biblical interests (peace, purity and unity based on doctrinal agreement and governance) without setting the bar too high.

 

[Wayne]

For what it's worth, some background on the membership questions (someone asked me about this earlier this year, so I'll share it here):

The membership questions appear to have been an invention out of the Southern Presbyterian Church [PCUS], beginning with the appearance of their first approved Directory of Worship in 1894. I don't find them as part of the PCUSA BCO.

There were four questions initially in 1894:

1. Do you acknowledge yourselves to be sinners in the sight of God, justly deserving his displeasure, and without hope save in his sovereign mercy?
2. Do you believe in the Lord Jesus Christ as the Son of God, and Saviour of sinners, and do you receive and rest upon him alone for salvation as he is offered in the gospel?
3. Do you now resolve and promise, in humble reliance upon the grace of the Holy Spirit, that you will endeavor to walk as becometh the followers of Christ, forsaking all sin, and conforming your life to his teaching and example?
4. Do you submit yourselves to the government and discipline of the church, and promise to study its purity and peace?

That portion in bold in Question 3 was deleted in 1929 when the PCUS revised their Directory of Worship, plus a new question was also added, designated as Q. 4:

4. Do you promise to support the Church in its worship and work to the best of your ability?

[and of course the old Q. 4 was renumbered now as Q. 5]

That and $5 will get you a cup of coffee. But maybe someone can make hay of it.
I'll note in closing that Dr. Morton Smith in his commentary on the BCO, does not elaborate on the questions individually, but does make a good point when he states that

Some Sessions keep a book with these questions and responses signed by each new member of the congregation. This gives a written record of the fact that these vows were taken in the event of the need of discipline at a later time. It would also be useful should a civil suit be brought against the Church for its exercise of discipline against the individual. It is also desirable to provide the individuals a copy of their vows in writing. . ."