-white%20name.png)
CHURCH MEMBERSHIP
Frequently Asked Questions About Church Membership
What is required to be a member of Vandalia Baptist?
The Bible teaches that a church is a gathering of baptized believers in Jesus Christ, who have committed themselves to one another before God to carry out the mission that Jesus gave to the church. That is why the most important requirement is that, at a specific moment in your life, you have made a faith decision to repent of your sin and trust in Jesus Christ as your personal Savior. We often refer to this as “getting saved,” “accepting Jesus as your personal Savior,” or making a “profession of faith.” These are all biblical phrases that refer to that specific faith decision. If you would like to talk to someone about taking this step of faith, our church members and leaders would love to talk to you about it.
​
If you have already made this faith decision to trust Jesus as your Savior, it is also required that you be biblically baptized. By “biblical baptism,” we mean that you have been baptized by immersion, under the authority of a Gospel-believing church, as a public testimony of your personal decision to become a follower of Jesus Christ. Baptism in the Bible is always a step that is taken after salvation, not as part of salvation. If you would like to be baptized, you can go to the Next Steps section of our homepage for more information.
If I want to become a member, how can I join?
The Constitution & By-Laws of Vandalia Baptist Temple states that individuals who believe God is leading them to become members, who meet the requirements mentioned above, and who have spoken to an elder (pastor) of the church to answer any questions, may be received into the membership of the church through:
​
-
Baptism by immersion
​
-
By letter of transfer from another Gospel-believing church (and a vote of approval by the church)
​
-
By testimony of faith and baptism (and a vote of approval by the church)
I am ready to become a member. What do I do now?
At the end of every Sunday service, we have a public time of response. People are invited to respond to God's Word and God's Spirit in their life by coming to the front and, either praying at the altar, or speaking to the pastor or one of the counselors about a spiritual decision. If you have spoken to a pastor about membership, and are ready to take the step to become a member, come to the front and inform the pastor or counselor of your decision. If you need to be baptized, they will pray with you and begin plans to schedule a service to do so. If you do not need to be baptized, but are joining by transfer of membership or testimony of faith, you will be asked to remain at the front, and the pastor will call on the church members to vote to receive you as a member. Note: You are not required to speak publicly.
​
If you have any other questions about this important decision, please do not hesitate to ask any of our church leaders or pastoral team. Our desire is to help you seek God’s face and direction in one of the most important areas of your Christian life.