I’m not posting this for debate, but to help all to understand the path to membership in a Southern Baptist Church.  There may be some variations of this used in churches, that’s ok due to the autonomous nature of SBC congregations.  Some churches require a membership class before or after joining.  I think that is a great and practical requirement as well as some sort of ongoing discipleship ministry for new members as well as those that have been members for a while.

How To Join A Baptist Church

After accepting Christ as your Savior the Bible tells us to associate ourselves with a local New Testament church (Hebrews 10:24-25). A Baptist church is a local assembly of baptized believers who have joined together to carry out Christ’s work on earth. When one becomes a church member he is making a covenant with the other members of the church to do his best with God’s help to live a Christian life and to cooperate with them to do the church’s work.

Three Ways A Baptist Church Accepts Members

There are three ways that most Baptist churches accept persons for membership.  

First, a person may unite by Profession of Faith, or Baptism and become a candidate for baptism. This means that he has trusted Jesus as Savior, is now declaring himself openly as a believer and is asking for membership in the church. Baptism is immersion of a person by putting him under water. Baptism does not help a person be saved. However, Jesus told his followers to be baptized. It symbolizes the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus. It is also a pictorial testimony of what has already taken place in the Christian life—death to his old life, its burial, and his resurrection to walk in newness of life in Christ Jesus. Church members vote to receive the candidate for membership following their baptism.   

Second, a person may unite by Letter, or Transfer of Membership. This means that he is already a member of another Baptist church of like faith and order. When one requests membership this way, the church clerk writes the church where he is a member and requests a letter of recommendation. The candidate is not actually a member of the church until the letter of recommendation is received. Once the ‘letter’ is receive the candidate is voted into full membership.  Rarely are letters of transfer granted or requested from churches of other denominations. 

Third, a person may unite by Statement. This means that he was once a Baptist but now is not a part of another Baptist church fellowship. There are many reasons why this occurs. Perhaps the church where a person joined is now disbanded. In some cases a person may have joined a church of another denomination and asked the Baptist church to drop his name from the roll. Most Baptist churches will accept a person’s statement about former membership in another Baptist church. After church members vote to accept the candidate by statement, he is in full fellowship with the church.  

Regardless of the path you took to membership in a Baptist Church, you are important to the fellowship, unity, mission, and integrity of the church.  You are a part of a family, the Body of Christ, and more specifically, a local family of like minded believers placed where you are to make a difference in your community and to reach people for the Kingdom of God.