Lots of churches require their new members to first sign an agreement called a “Membership Covenant.” Although the concept has been around for a long time, these agreements became far more widespread when church growth guru Rick Warren’s book, The Purpose-Driven Church, came into vogue.
Especially since then, partly as a reaction to all things Purpose-Driven, membership covenants have generated a lot of heated emotions. Google the phrase sometime, and you can find all sorts of analysis, much of it negative, written by Christians adamantly opposed to being forced into signing such documents. Yet in many respects, it does make sense to have someone commit himself – in writing – to exactly what he’s getting himself into when he joins a church.
I’m not sure about all the other congregations that are part of Sovereign Grace Ministries, but I do know that their flagship church – Covenant Life Church – requires its members to sign such a membership covenant. Apparently, in recent years, CLC has even made these agreements retroactive, demanding that longtime members go back and sign the latest version of their membership covenant.
You can view CLC’s membership covenant here, beginning on page 85.
Today I thought it’d be interesting to direct our discussion to this membership covenant. Since many of you have recounted stories of abusive church discipline and pastoral “counseling” run amuck, I’m wondering what you think of signing an agreement such as this. Do other Sovereign Grace churches require their members to commit themselves in writing to abide by the same procedures and regulations as Covenant Life Church does? Did you sign such an agreement yourself? What are your views of CLC’s positions, especially those on church discipline (“Appendix C”) and confidentiality in counseling (“Appendix G”)?
By the way, for anyone new to the discussion, you are welcomed to post thoughts of other matters in the “comments” section here. But for those who wish to, I think analyzing this membership covenant might be an interesting exercise.
I never got the "meeting" thing, either. 
March 12th, 2008 at 1:23 pm
WOW Fly — you’re one of us now — your name was the only one in the “recent comments” list for a few minutes!!!!
March 12th, 2008 at 1:24 pm
Sorry to disturb the blogging tutorial-but am I right to assume that the membership document for CLC is really over 80 pages long?
Meaning if I printed it off-it would spit out over 80 sheets of 8 1/2 by 11 sheets of membership covenant stuff?
March 12th, 2008 at 1:24 pm
Thanks for your help Fly, but I might have to have my son show me. I’m not good at learning by reading when it comes to this kind of stuff.
But thanks to all who helped!
March 12th, 2008 at 1:28 pm
Hey, everybody -
There’s a new thread. Check it out. I have documented proof of the “shepherding” people keep denying.
March 12th, 2008 at 1:31 pm
Here, let me try to help!
&#lt;i&#gt;to be italicized&#lt;/i&#gt;
…gives you…
to be italicized
March 12th, 2008 at 1:31 pm
lol!
March 12th, 2008 at 1:32 pm
Sorry, sorry… sometimes I forget the ‘#’ is only used with numbers. (Go ahead and ignore all that.)
<i>to be italicized</i>
…gives you…
to be italicized
March 12th, 2008 at 1:34 pm
>i<thank you
March 12th, 2008 at 1:34 pm
AGGGGGGGGGHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
March 12th, 2008 at 1:35 pm
I know how to make angry faces!
March 12th, 2008 at 1:35 pm
Comments will be closed for this thread soon. :-)
March 12th, 2008 at 1:36 pm
March 12th, 2008 at 1:36 pm
hey thanks lynn….. so back to home school… its not going to be good for the kids… especially if they want them to work in the church.. the kids wont have good people skills unless they’re like a middle child with some authority over and under them excluding adults..
March 12th, 2008 at 2:52 pm
Claireon-
I loved your post! That correlation between the authority structure in SGM and the pope were eerily similar. You know Luther said, “You are not only responsible for what you say, but also for what you do not say”. It is important for people (who are still in SGM) to say something. Lord knows they won’t listen to us! :-) We are just a bunch of slandering fools. :-)
I am not sure who was talking about the apostle stuff. But, found it interesting that the main page has no reference to Apostles, but hidden deep in it’s recesses that they still do utilize “apostles”. I agree that if they feel like that it was erroneous, then stand up and correct it. And, the whole time we were in SGM the “Apostolic Team” was proudly touted. I don’t get it. IT IS THE CORE OF THE PROBLEM!!!!! Fix it, please!
March 12th, 2008 at 3:08 pm
#147 -
My girlfriend came up with this:
( ‘)< <– It’s a duck emoticon! Hooray!
March 12th, 2008 at 3:39 pm
PDiddy,
” ( ‘)< <– It’s a duck emoticon! Hooray!”
That is awesome!!
March 12th, 2008 at 3:41 pm
( ‘)< Quack! Quack! Did you see it, Lynn?
March 12th, 2008 at 4:02 pm
Lynn has been reassigned to the phone desk. Her boss just discovered this blog and has reported her for having too much fun on the job.
March 12th, 2008 at 5:28 pm
Lynn has been a slacker from day #1. Lynn, would you get to work and quit wasting my tax dollars? :-P
TK
March 12th, 2008 at 5:29 pm
High Church, you said,
“And, the whole time we were in SGM the “Apostolic Team” was proudly touted. I don’t get it. IT IS THE CORE OF THE PROBLEM!!!!! Fix it, please!”
Fix it? Gut it! Excise it! Dismantle it!
Let the new Reformation begin!
TK
March 12th, 2008 at 5:54 pm
Oh my gosh you guys — I just saw this! See, when Kris said she was closing this thread, I OBEYED without questioning!!!
I love the duck!!!! Thanks PDiddy!!!
And TK, I humbly revealed to everyone that I was a gov worker because I desired everyone’s intentional and loving correction.
But you’re just a big meanie! (has anyone ever used that term to a leader in a discipline meeting?)
I haven’t been a slacker from day one! Just since the day I figured out that my best efforts were completely wasted and that my job was a complete exercise in futility!
Quack!
March 12th, 2008 at 5:55 pm
Musicman,
Yes, I’m definitely having too much fun here at work! I have to stifle my laughs (see page 666 in my book “Slackers: How to Fool the Boss and Share the Gospel.”
March 12th, 2008 at 5:59 pm
(‘)<<
Quack!
Hey–I did it!