Who can become a member of the church?

We’d love for everyone to repent of their sin, trust in Jesus, and then belong to his church.

But when someone does join a local church, they are committing themselves to the church, and the church to them. It’s a serious undertaking, not something done lightly or carelessly.

It’s vital that any new member and the church are united in essential belief and practice:

(1) Members are in Full agreement with the basis of faith

The Basis of Faith sets out essential and non-negotiable Christian doctrine that the church believes all Christians everywhere should be able to accept wholeheartedly. You can read it here.

(2) members have been Baptised

Jesus Christ commands all people everywhere to repent of their life of sin, to trust in him alone for salvation from that sin and to be baptised. In obedience to this command of Jesus Christ, Christian baptism is a condition of church membership.

Although the mode of baptism practised by the Church is exclusively that of believer’s baptism, normally by full immersion in water, the church also welcomes into membership those baptised in accordance with other Christian traditions who with good conscience consider themselves to have been baptised in accordance with Christ’s command.

(3) Members accept all the responsibilities of membership

The Bible describes many privileges and responsibilities of church membership. You can read about these here.

(4) Members accept the church’s Constitution and Rules

The Church is also a registered charity, established as a Charitable Incorporated Organisation (CIO) under a Constitution that contains the main legal provisions governing the Church, its purposes and Basis of Faith, and its powers. The particular practices of the Church and its method of internal governance are defined in the Church Rules. Members of the church are members of the CIO.

Members must accept and comply fully with the provisions of the CIO Constitution and Rules.