What is the Meaning of Membership?
When persons unite with a local United Methodist church, they profess their faith in God, the Father Almighty, maker of heaven and earth, and in Jesus Christ his only Son, and in the Holy Spirit. They covenant together with God and with the members of the local church to keep the vows which are a part of the order of confirmation and reception into the Church:
Why be a member? God seeks a personal relationship with each one of us. Church membership is one way to welcome that invitation.
What can our church expect of its members?
A FULL MEMBER: Professes their faith in the trinity (God, the Father Almighty, Jesus, his only son, and the Holy Spirit). Commits his/her prayers, presence, gifts and service to the church. Is officially added to the membership records of First UMC and The United Methodist Church. Has been baptized. Can vote and participate in church business.
An AFFILIATE/ASSOCIATE MEMBER: Maintains membership at two churches (both United Methodist or one of another denomination). Enjoys the same benefits of full membership. Agrees to the same commitments and meets the same requirements of a full member.
A PREPARATORY MEMBER: Is preparing for full membership in the church. Has been baptized, but not confirmed. Is under the age of 19.
A CONSTITUENT: Regularly attends and gives support to the church. Has not made the additional commitments of becoming a full member.
Ways to Become a Member at First United Methodist Church We are eager for you to be an active member of our church family. There are several ways you can become a Full Member of First UMC:
Profession of Faith and Baptism: If you have never been baptized, our pastor will be happy to meet with you in your home or at the church to discuss the meaning of baptism and making a profession of faith as a Christian.
By Restoration of Membership and Renewal of Vows: If you are no longer a member of a church, your baptism will be honored and you can reaffirm your vow of church membership and become a member of First UMC.
By Transfer From Another United Methodist Church: If you are a member of another United Methodist congregation, the church office can write requesting a letter of transfer to First UMC. This holds true for many other denominations. For those who do not issue letters of transfer, a letter announcement can be sent to your church notifying them of your acceptance into the First UMC membership.
By Transfer From Another Christian Denomination: Since you are already baptized and confirmed, these steps will not be repeated. You will be asked to take the one vow taken by all members of the United Methodist Church: "Will you be loyal to the United Methodist Church and uphold it by your prayers, your presence, your gifts and your service?"
Transfer of Your Membership From a Denomination that will not accept your transferring across denominational lines: Your baptism is accepted. You will be reconfirmed in a process called Renewal of Vows.
How to become a "Member" without becoming a "Full Member": If you are a United Methodist whose membership is in another city or state and you wish to retain membership in your "home" church, you can become an Affiliate Member of First United Methodist Church. This grants you pastoral oversight, fellowship and participation at First United Methodist Church. You will not be counted on First UMC's membership roll, but at your "home" church. We will write your "home" church informing them of your Affiliate Member status at First UMC.
Members of other Christian denominations may elect to become Associate Members under the same conditions.
Glossary:
The United Methodist Church: Formed in 1939 through the union of The Methodist Episcopal Church, The Methodist Episcopal Church, South and The Methodist Protestant Church. This union brought together three important streams of American Methodism, which had separated from one another in the first half of the nineteenth century. In 1968 The Methodist Church merged with The Evangelical United Brethren Church to form The United Methodist Church. In its twenty-nine years between 1939 and 1968, The Methodist Church extended its ministry. This was the period of the development of strong and effective general agencies, and increase in the educational standards for clergy and the outreach of the denomination through its colleges, universities, hospitals and homes.
Membership: Includes those persons who have been baptized and who have been received into membership in a local church through confession of faith or by transfer of membership and who have taken the vows of membership. A person who is a member of any local United Methodist church is a member of the United Methodist denomination as a whole. It is the obligation and the responsibility of the pastor of the local church to decide who will be admitted into membership.
Membership Vows: Taken when a person joins a United Methodist church. By taking the membership vows, the individual agrees to covenant with God and the members of the local church to keep the vows that are part of the reception into membership. These vows have four parts: (1) to confess Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior; (2) to believe in the Christian faith as contained in the Old and New Testaments; (3) to promise to live a Christian life; and (4) to uphold The United Methodist Church with one's prayers, presence, gifts and service.
Layperson: A baptized, confirmed member of a local church.
Laity: From laos, meaning "people of God," and used to describe members of a congregation or parish.
Baptized Member: Aperson who has received the sacrament of baptism in a United Methodist Church or has received Christian baptism in another denomination and later transferred to a United Methodist Church.
Professing Member: A baptized person who has taken vows declaring the Christian faith. Professing members include all people who have come into membership by profession of faith or by transfer from other churches.
Confirmation: The act by which persons who were baptized as infants or young children (or, because of other special circumstances, could not make the baptismal vows themselves) make their first public statement of their declaration or profession of faith. In this sense they confirm their faith. Confirmation is performed in preparation for reception into full membership in The United Methodist Church. Persons who declared their faith in Christ for themselves at baptism are not confirmed inasmuch as they previously made their profession of faith when baptized
Membership Rolls
Those records each local church is required to maintain on the membership. The various membership rolls are:
1) Affiliate Membership Roll
2) Associate Membership Roll
3) Constituency Roll
4) Full Membership Roll
5) Members Removed by Charge Conference Action
6) Preparatory Membership Roll
Affiliate Member: A lay person residing away from home for an extended period who is enrolled in a nearby church for fellowship, pastoral care, and participation in activities. The affiliate member may hold office, except such as would allow a vote in a United Methodist body other than the local church. The affiliate member is reported as a professing member of the home church only
Associate Member: A lay member of another denomination, residing away from home for an extended period, who attends a United Methodist church may be enrolled as an associate member. The associate member may hold office, but may not become a voting member of the church council. The associate member is considered a member of the home church.
For more terms, visit: http://archives.umc.org/interior.asp?ptid=1&mid=258 (www.umc.org > Glossary)
For more information about Membership at First United Methodist Church, please contact Dr. Alkula.
When persons unite with a local United Methodist church, they profess their faith in God, the Father Almighty, maker of heaven and earth, and in Jesus Christ his only Son, and in the Holy Spirit. They covenant together with God and with the members of the local church to keep the vows which are a part of the order of confirmation and reception into the Church:
- To confess Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior and pledge their allegiance to his kingdom;
- To receive and profess the Christian faith as contained in the Scriptures of the Old and New Testament;
- To promise according to the grace given them to live a Christian life and always remain faithful members of Christ's Holy Church; and
- To be loyal to The United Methodist Church and uphold it by their prayers, their presence, their gifts, their service and their witness.
Why be a member? God seeks a personal relationship with each one of us. Church membership is one way to welcome that invitation.
What can our church expect of its members?
- Their Prayers ... for the life and ministry of Fetterhoff Chapel ... for the support of the church family, the community, and the world.
- Their Presence ... in worship services each week ... education and service groups.
- Their Gifts ... in financial support of the church’s budget and missions ... in their individual, unique talents.
- Their Service ... in ministry and mission ... in fellowship and caring.
- Their Witness ... Remember: Everything you do is evangelism.
- Bible-centered, Christ-centered worship and ministry.
- Christian education spanning the total age range of its members.
- Opportunities and challenges to serve God within and beyond the local church.
- A gathering of people with diverse backgrounds and viewpoints, where everyone may not agree, but all will be heard, as we strive to live and grow in Christian community.
- Visits by the pastor or church volunteers during times of need.
A FULL MEMBER: Professes their faith in the trinity (God, the Father Almighty, Jesus, his only son, and the Holy Spirit). Commits his/her prayers, presence, gifts and service to the church. Is officially added to the membership records of First UMC and The United Methodist Church. Has been baptized. Can vote and participate in church business.
An AFFILIATE/ASSOCIATE MEMBER: Maintains membership at two churches (both United Methodist or one of another denomination). Enjoys the same benefits of full membership. Agrees to the same commitments and meets the same requirements of a full member.
A PREPARATORY MEMBER: Is preparing for full membership in the church. Has been baptized, but not confirmed. Is under the age of 19.
A CONSTITUENT: Regularly attends and gives support to the church. Has not made the additional commitments of becoming a full member.
Ways to Become a Member at First United Methodist Church We are eager for you to be an active member of our church family. There are several ways you can become a Full Member of First UMC:
Profession of Faith and Baptism: If you have never been baptized, our pastor will be happy to meet with you in your home or at the church to discuss the meaning of baptism and making a profession of faith as a Christian.
By Restoration of Membership and Renewal of Vows: If you are no longer a member of a church, your baptism will be honored and you can reaffirm your vow of church membership and become a member of First UMC.
By Transfer From Another United Methodist Church: If you are a member of another United Methodist congregation, the church office can write requesting a letter of transfer to First UMC. This holds true for many other denominations. For those who do not issue letters of transfer, a letter announcement can be sent to your church notifying them of your acceptance into the First UMC membership.
By Transfer From Another Christian Denomination: Since you are already baptized and confirmed, these steps will not be repeated. You will be asked to take the one vow taken by all members of the United Methodist Church: "Will you be loyal to the United Methodist Church and uphold it by your prayers, your presence, your gifts and your service?"
Transfer of Your Membership From a Denomination that will not accept your transferring across denominational lines: Your baptism is accepted. You will be reconfirmed in a process called Renewal of Vows.
How to become a "Member" without becoming a "Full Member": If you are a United Methodist whose membership is in another city or state and you wish to retain membership in your "home" church, you can become an Affiliate Member of First United Methodist Church. This grants you pastoral oversight, fellowship and participation at First United Methodist Church. You will not be counted on First UMC's membership roll, but at your "home" church. We will write your "home" church informing them of your Affiliate Member status at First UMC.
Members of other Christian denominations may elect to become Associate Members under the same conditions.
Glossary:
The United Methodist Church: Formed in 1939 through the union of The Methodist Episcopal Church, The Methodist Episcopal Church, South and The Methodist Protestant Church. This union brought together three important streams of American Methodism, which had separated from one another in the first half of the nineteenth century. In 1968 The Methodist Church merged with The Evangelical United Brethren Church to form The United Methodist Church. In its twenty-nine years between 1939 and 1968, The Methodist Church extended its ministry. This was the period of the development of strong and effective general agencies, and increase in the educational standards for clergy and the outreach of the denomination through its colleges, universities, hospitals and homes.
Membership: Includes those persons who have been baptized and who have been received into membership in a local church through confession of faith or by transfer of membership and who have taken the vows of membership. A person who is a member of any local United Methodist church is a member of the United Methodist denomination as a whole. It is the obligation and the responsibility of the pastor of the local church to decide who will be admitted into membership.
Membership Vows: Taken when a person joins a United Methodist church. By taking the membership vows, the individual agrees to covenant with God and the members of the local church to keep the vows that are part of the reception into membership. These vows have four parts: (1) to confess Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior; (2) to believe in the Christian faith as contained in the Old and New Testaments; (3) to promise to live a Christian life; and (4) to uphold The United Methodist Church with one's prayers, presence, gifts and service.
Layperson: A baptized, confirmed member of a local church.
Laity: From laos, meaning "people of God," and used to describe members of a congregation or parish.
Baptized Member: Aperson who has received the sacrament of baptism in a United Methodist Church or has received Christian baptism in another denomination and later transferred to a United Methodist Church.
Professing Member: A baptized person who has taken vows declaring the Christian faith. Professing members include all people who have come into membership by profession of faith or by transfer from other churches.
Confirmation: The act by which persons who were baptized as infants or young children (or, because of other special circumstances, could not make the baptismal vows themselves) make their first public statement of their declaration or profession of faith. In this sense they confirm their faith. Confirmation is performed in preparation for reception into full membership in The United Methodist Church. Persons who declared their faith in Christ for themselves at baptism are not confirmed inasmuch as they previously made their profession of faith when baptized
Membership Rolls
Those records each local church is required to maintain on the membership. The various membership rolls are:
1) Affiliate Membership Roll
2) Associate Membership Roll
3) Constituency Roll
4) Full Membership Roll
5) Members Removed by Charge Conference Action
6) Preparatory Membership Roll
Affiliate Member: A lay person residing away from home for an extended period who is enrolled in a nearby church for fellowship, pastoral care, and participation in activities. The affiliate member may hold office, except such as would allow a vote in a United Methodist body other than the local church. The affiliate member is reported as a professing member of the home church only
Associate Member: A lay member of another denomination, residing away from home for an extended period, who attends a United Methodist church may be enrolled as an associate member. The associate member may hold office, but may not become a voting member of the church council. The associate member is considered a member of the home church.
For more terms, visit: http://archives.umc.org/interior.asp?ptid=1&mid=258 (www.umc.org > Glossary)
For more information about Membership at First United Methodist Church, please contact Dr. Alkula.