The IPC Messenger
INDEPENDENT PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH P . O . BOX 9266 SAVANNAH , GA 31412
PERIODICALS POSTAGE PAID SAVANNAH , GA
The IPC Messenger ( USPS 261 – 200 ) is published weekly by Independent Presbyterian Church , 207 Bull Street , Savannah , GA 31401 . Periodical Postage paid at Savannah , Georgia 31402 . POSTMASTER : send address changes to IPC Messenger , P . O . Box 9266 , Savannah , GA 31412 .
Updating Membership Rolls
Every year your Session expends considerable energy seeking to keep the church rolls updated . In-town members leave us for fairer in-town churches , others move out of town , still others just disappear ; they stop attending and contacting them is difficult . We update the rolls regularly because we take membership seriously . Membership is a covenantal arrangement . Vows are administered . The preface to the vows speaks of entering into “ a solemn covenant with God and His church .” Inaccurate and out-of-date rolls trivialize , or at least diminish the seriousness of membership vows . Keeping our rolls up-to-date is a concrete way in which we show our love for “ Mother Church .”
Problem areas Yet we have three classes of members whose current status is inconsistent with these principles and with which the Session is committed to resolving .
The first is non-communing “ children ” who are now adults , yet who have never made a public profession of faith in Christ . They were baptized as infants so they are members , though non-communing ( they are not eligible for communion ). Typically they progressed through the Sunday School , through the youth groups , and into their adult years . Some of them are now in their mid-to-late 20 ’ s and even 30 ’ s and beyond . We will be contacting them soon . Perhaps they are unaware of this deficiency . Perhaps they are ready to identify themselves as disciples of Jesus . Our hope is that our communication with them will result in a public commitment to Christ and His church . Absent that , they will of necessity be removed from a membership status that is of no positive value to them and possibly a negative impact , perhaps prolonging indecision regarding their relation to Christ . “ Non-communing ” membership is by definition temporary , designed specifically for children and ends when a mature decision is made for or against Christ . Our gentle push may help .
The second class of members whose status is inconsistent with our principles is communing children of the church who are in town but no longer attend . They could attend services , but for one reason or another , they don ’ t . The goal of contacting them is to encourage them to renew the commitment to I . P . C . that they voiced in their fourth membership vow when they joined the church (“ Do you promise to serve Christ in His church by supporting and participating in its worship and work to the best of your ability ?”) – or – to encourage them to join the church they are currently attending . Hopefully we will nudge them in a positive direction . Failing these two alternatives , we will take steps to remove them from the rolls .
The third class of members whose status is inconsistent with our principles is long-term out-of-town members . We have members who moved beyond the bounds of our congregation two , five , ten , twenty , even thirty years ago or more and have never joined another church . There are several obvious problems with this : 1 ) they have not become committed members of a local church , which we believe is the duty of every believer ; 2 ) they may have an unhealthy attachment to I . P . C . that is inhibiting local church participation . Prolonged out-of-town membership doesn ’ t do anyone any good . Consequently , we aim to force the issue . Your Session long ago set as policy the following statement :
It is the policy of I . P . C . to review the rolls in February of each year to declare those members who have not attended or financially supported the Church in the last 12 months as inactive . It will be the responsibility of the Congregational Growth and Care Committee to make this review and notify each delinquent member both of his status and of any pending action of the Session .
We are contacting long-term out-of-town members , letting them know that they have a few months to join another church which we hope they will do . Regardless , after that period of a few months we will remove them from our church membership rolls .
Exceptions We are not being hard-line or categorical about this . Missionaries and active duty military will be excepted , as will college students ( undergraduate and graduate ) and post-college members who are in the transitional period between graduation and permanent relocation ( which we understand may require a few years to finalize ). Keeping one ’ s spiritual “ home base ” is important . We provide “ associate ” membership for temporary residents ( like military and college ) for that reason . Yet we are convinced that we have been negligent in the past and that we must be more deliberate in pursuing long-term delinquent members .
Please work with us . Parents , begin now to have conversations with any of your children who may fall into one of these three categories . The impact of our correcting these membership anomalies may be beneficial for all . That , at least , is our prayer .
— TLJ