Tent Width Oct 25, 2006
Observations on Controversy Oct 24, 2007
First Impressions Dec 5, 2006
The title of this post represents a practice in Southern Baptist life that has always concerned me. Contained within this phrase is the idea that a person’s membership in a local church somehow has its substance in a “letter” that can be moved from place to place. It is not a covenant relationship, but a clerical exercise. But is this practice in any way biblical?
Now a Jew named Apollos, a native of Alexandria, came to Ephesus. He was an eloquent man, competent in the Scriptures. He had been instructed in the way of the Lord. And being fervent in spirit, he spoke and taught accurately the things concerning Jesus, though he knew only the baptism of John. He began to speak boldly in the synagogue, but when Priscilla and Aquila heard him, they took him and explained to him the way of God more accurately. And when he wished to cross to Achaia, the brothers encouraged him and wrote to the disciples to welcome him. When he arrived, he greatly helped those who through grace had believed, for he powerfully refuted the Jews in public, showing by the Scriptures that the Christ was Jesus.
- Acts 18:24-28 (ESV)
This passage seems to be about as close as one can come to a biblical argument for our practice of “letters of recommendation,” although it strikes me as more of a ministerial recommendation that one for membership. And I don’t think I would be at all uncomfortable with a practice by that name if it had any real resemblance to the mental image that the phrase “letter of recommendation” creates in most people. One could reasonably expect that, in the case of a member in good standing, there would be some discussion about a person’s contribution to their local church, their giftedness, and their ability to serve the local church. The person would have discussed their need to join another congregation with the leaders of their present church, and everyone would be aware of the impending move. A letter would be drafted detailing the person’s experience of salvation and baptism, their history of service, and the current church’s good wishes to the sister congregation. But our practice of granting letters really isn’t anything like that.
In my experience, the granting of letters is a footnote in a business meeting wherein the clerk reads the name of a member and the church requesting a letter, someone makes a motion, and the “letter” is granted (sometimes after a discussion in which someone suggests that the person may, in fact, be dead). The clerk then fills out a card (available here), and the person is removed as a member. There is no discussion of whether the person even gives evidence of being a Christian, much less whether they are someone who should be the subject of a “letter of recommendation.”
In the two years I have served as pastor of my current church, I have made a handful of phone calls to pastors, either when receiving a request for a letter or when someone I know to be a member of a nearby church shows interest in joining here. In each and every case, I have been treated quite dismissively, usually after the pastor with whom I am talking gets over their surprise that anyone would even waste a phone call on such a matter. Needless to say, these experiences have been discouraging.
I leave for the comments a couple of questions. First, do the things I have written about here even constitute a problem? And if so, what are some practical solutions? Cyle Clayton has written an excellent piece on this subject over at sbc IMPACT! which spurred the thinking that led to this somewhat rambling post. I encourage you to read and interact with what he has written as well.
There seems to be a growing resurgence in SBC life of a concern for authentic church membership. What part does this practice of “moving letters” play in the degradation of the integrity of membership in a local church?
Wes Kenney
Tent Width Oct 25, 2006
Observations on Controversy Oct 24, 2007
First Impressions Dec 5, 2006
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Dean Jentes Nov 5 2007 - 11:33 am
Wes,
It sounds like that there is a problem and that as churches recieve this letter that there should definately be some background checks to find out if there is a problem and try to have it worked out. It seems that it would be a benefit for everyone involved for the church and its members as well as the individuals trying to join. Seems to me that the goal of the church is to help people, so it would be fitting that the church do research on the individuals and then try to help resolve the issue before allowing them to be accepted as members. These are just my thoughts.
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Robin Foster Nov 5 2007 - 1:13 pm
Wes
Here’s something to add to the discussion, define authentic church membership.
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volfan007 Nov 5 2007 - 1:38 pm
wes,
i think it’s good to check out those “moving thier letter” to make sure that you’re not gaining a no good, low down, troublemaker who’s not worth a peanut shell!
david
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Tom Bryant Nov 5 2007 - 4:02 pm
Wes,
It has been a big problem for our church. A previous pastor would receive anyone from most any denom by transfer of letter. So we had people in our membership that were members of our church but believed in Baptismal regeneration and those who were not at all Baptists by anyone’s definition.
The solution for us was in some cases evangelism to reach these folks with the Gospel and when they were saved to baptize them and then go through a membership class. Another solution was to talk about what Baptist are, at least what they are at at this baptist church.
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Bennett Willis Nov 5 2007 - 4:34 pm
Some churches (and mine may be one of them) won’t accept people from other churches who have not cleared up any “old issues” before they have left. I think that we generally give the pastor a call to see what the nature of the departure is. I have no information about how these calls are received.
I think that this is a good policy. It is good for both places and the people involved in some cases.
Bennett Willis
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selahV Nov 5 2007 - 11:01 pm
So how’s a person to join a fellowship when leaving another SB church? Do we eliminate the card and go for statement of faith? I dare say the majority of people who move their letters from sister churches within the same city are one of two people…disgruntled or genuinely seeking a place to be fed, nourished and edified.
We live in a military town and constantly have folks joining us from churches out of state.
What about the ones who are not all that involved in the church from which they were previous members? Are we to judge them more stringently than those within our own churches who aren’t living up to what we consider they should? I’ve seen people who come to churches from other areas that were babies in the Lord and they grew like an Oklahoma wildfire when they were under a fellowship of faithful believers. And I’ve seen folks who were dynamic Christians who came from dynamic churches join another dynamic church and then sat in the pew.
I have a really hard time with this, Wes. Discipline, church letters. When did this all begin in So. Bapt. churches? Why? selahV
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Jeff Richard Young Nov 5 2007 - 11:47 pm
Dear Brother Wes,
I am very glad you are working this issue. The neglect of, abuse of, misunderstanding of, ignorance of this process is rampant in our churches.
One imporant point: note that on the traditional card, we are stating that the person is a member “in regular standing.” So, if we send such a letter for someone whom we have not seen in our church for months or years, we are telling a big, fat lie!
Love in Christ,
Jeff
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Bob Cleveland Nov 6 2007 - 9:41 am
Kudos for asking the questions.
In our case, FBC Pelham has gone from 200 attendance of 800 members, to 800 attendance of 2600 members. I think everything the church does has to be examined in light of that fact. And if you look at statistics, I’m quite sure the biggest increase in membership is via transfers, not baptisms.
Even then, we don’t check to see the “recidivism rate” of baptisms vs transfers. That’s not surprising, as we’ve just been awakened to the fact that this represents a problem.
I think it’s all up for grabs, and examining this is a good place to start. It’s my feeling this would be the easiest place to start into assurance of regenerate membership.
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Karen Scott Nov 6 2007 - 10:32 am
Our church has gone from using the generic form shown in your post to a more detailed form letter which gives the church requesting the letter an another opportunity to contact our pastor to gain additional information.
In addition, if a letter is requested by someone who caused discord within the body; someone who may not have attended our church in years or someone who is living an ungodly lifestyle then a personal letter is sent to the pastor by CB which relates the problem and gives the pastor of the requesting church opportunity to contact him and our deacons to further discuss the situation. At that time the ball is in that pastor’s court and he can decide what he wants to do with the information.
We recently had a church in a neighboring county that wrote to a sister church for the letter of an individual and luckily found out (by the pastor or an associate) that the person requesting membership had served time in another state for pedophilia. The pastor was then able to take a deacon and visit the individual to discuss the situation with the “requester” and found that they not only tried to deny the situation before finally admitting to it, they, also, were not repentant of what had happened. The individual was told that they were welcome to attend services but would never be allowed to work with any children’s or young person’s program. Needless to say the individual decided against attending.
Churches need to become more responsible in receiving and sending letters.
Karen Scott
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Bennett Willis Nov 6 2007 - 11:47 am
We demand that everything that is proposed be true and applicable in every case. This is silly.
I like a clear plan so I know what to do probably more than most, but I recognize that there will be times when the plan just does not apply.
I’m not sure that we apply more or less discipline than is appropriate. Let’s just talk comfortably about the possibilities and see what we can come up with for our different situations.
Bennett Willis
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cb scott Nov 6 2007 - 2:28 pm
Bennett,
What does “this is silly” relate to in this particular post and comment thread?
cb
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Bennett Willis Nov 7 2007 - 5:02 pm
CB,
I did one of those long replies and then hit the wrong key and lost it. My comment “sprang from” (and should have referenced) selahV’s about the military base church where lots of people come and go. There are always exceptions and we need to not let the exceptions get us off the track. Just note them and move on.
Bennett
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