Why We use a Membership Covenant (Part 5 of 5)

A Signed Covenant protects the Leadership: 

Hebrews 13:17 says that Elders will have to give an account for the members of their church. This is the most frightening passage that I’ve read about what it means to pastor God’s church. How can I stand before God and give an account of my pastoral ministry if no one has made a commitment to me to adhere to certain Biblical principles? How can I shepherd people who secretly refuse to be shepherded? I am asked, as a pastor, to make a huge commitment to people that will result in my greater judgment (James 3:1), but they are not asked to make any commitment to me, and they are not asked to make any commitment to the Bible. This is a farce and a lose-lose situation.

I’m basically screwing myself in this deal. I am voluntarily taking upon myself greater judgment and greater responsibility, and I’m not going to ask for anything in return? Hebrews 13:17 says that members of a church congregation should “Obey and submit to church leaders.” How does the church realistically ask people to submit to the leadership? How does the church ask people to obey? This is a two-way relationship after all. As pastors we have a good understanding of our coming judgment (at least I hope so). But church members need to be informed of their responsibility in the two-way relationship as well. They also need that understanding. As a result,  I personally need a signed membership covenant from the members of my congregation so that I can sleep a little easier at night knowing that we have a reciprocal relationship with each other and knowing that they know it too. I can’t even begin to explain to you the number of hours that I’ve stayed awake over various membership situations. I sometimes feel that in some way I have failed various members as their pastor. I take the burden of it all on myself.

My own mind, lured and enticed by the idolatry of being a people-pleaser and wanting everyone to like me, works very hard sometimes to believe the various lies, to take blame on myself, and to try and create a compromise situation where everyone can get their own way. In this situation -that I create in my own mind- I can be well-liked again, and everyone can live happily ever after -the only exception being God who is usually greatly dishonored in such compromise situations. But then I drive to work. I pull open my file drawer and I take out the membership covenant, and the bright shining light of truth floods the darkness, and I know that to compromise on the bedrock truth of Scripture would be a disservice to the church by allowing the cancer of sin to remain, and a disservice to churches all over the world. I’ve learned that a signed membership covenant protects the church from me in my weaknesses, and it protects me from my own self.