About book Church Membership: How The World Knows Who Represents Jesus (2012)
This book is written to the millions of professing Christians who consider membership in a church to be voluntary, unnecessary and even pharisaical. Against this error, Leeman provides a solid theological basis for church membership that calls for every Christian to pursue formal submission to a local church body. The church both affirms and oversees one's discipleship, he argues. My only complaint is the Leeman doesn't directly address the trendy "missional communities" that emphasize, among other problematic things, a lack of authority and formal leadership in the community. In my estimation, they are not churches at all. Perhaps Leeman considered this issue beyond the intent of the book. Just finished Church Membership by Jonathan Leeman. What a great, short exposure to the topic of church membership.I found myself desiring a clearly articulated theology or biblical case for the necessity or existence of church membership, but Leeman makes it explicit in the first pages of the book that this is not his goal. Can't fault an author for not doing something he says he is not going to do.The highlights of the book are certainly the chapters on how to submit to a local church, and church discipline, two topics that scare our culture because of words like "authority" and "submission". But Leeman does a great job setting up for this challenge by first addressing the nature of the people of God as a kingdom people.I would recommend this book to anyone who is wanting to know more about church membership in the broad sense, or who seeks to be persuaded of the benefits and joys of church membership.
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A short, helpful read on what church membership is and why it is biblical.
—readingfan
Great book on membership. The author makes a strong biblical case.
—melisa
A very practical book on church membership.
—destiny
