The principle of church membership is biblical, while the practical application of church membership is cultural.

In Acts and the epistles we see the apostles establishing distinct churches in different cities. They related to the church of Jerusalem and sought its advice, but were not ruled by Jerusalem.
There are 23 distinct churches discussed in the New [...]

This question rarely comes up when talking with leaders of established churches - but it is often raised when talking with church planters. They are the ones birthing something new, something without history, tradition, or template. They have “permission” to ask this.
I see the issue coming down to these questions:

Does the Bible teach church membership [...]

I am once again working at an older church, where many people have been members for years. God is doing a new work here, and our pastor has encouraged our team to help people focus again on what it means to be a Christ follower. I have this statement written across the top of my [...]