The Church Covenant

 

The New Testament norm would seem to be that a new Christian would be received into a local assembly of believers. Does a new believer need to make any kind of commitment to the local congregation? In our world today, this commitment may be broader than to the local congregation.

Many churches have some form of a statement or covenant that a candidate for membership must agree to before being received as a member. Church covenants are not new.   It may be good for us to think about the purpose of a covenant. How does it bring benefits to either the new member or the congregation or a brotherhood?

The church covenant I am most familiar with would be the one my own congregation and denomination (Dunkard Brethren Church) uses.

The new member voluntarily accepts accountability to the local church and in our case as Dunkard Brethren it means we also accept accountability to a wider brotherhood of believers. Let us examine the concept of a church covenant.

The Dunkard Brethren Church covenant has two main features. One is a three paragraph statement describing church membership:

The Church is composed of persons who covenant to be loyal to the principles of the Gospel, as understood by the church.
By conviction of sin, conversion and confession of our sins, by faith in Father, Son and Holy Spirit, as revealed to us by the Holy Scriptures and baptism by trine immersion, we enter into covenant relation with one another, as one body in Christ Jesus. Thus by the aid of the Holy Spirit, we mutually agree to walk together in Christian love, to strive together for the advancement of the church in knowledge, holiness and prosperity; to promote spirituality, humility and peace; to sustain its worship, ordinances an doctrines; and cheerfully to contribute of the means God gives us, for the building of churches, for supporting the ministry, when needed for missionary work, for supporting the poor, and every other good work that tends to the enlargement of Christ’s kingdom on earth, and the good of its subjects.
We also engage to live exemplary lives before the world; to have private devotions in our family; to religiously instruct and educate our children; we therefore approve, recommend, and encourage all congregations where feasible, to establish schools in the local congregations; to labor for the physical and spiritual good of our neighbors and those with whom we associate; to be honest and upright in all our dealings, faithful in our engagements and exemplary in our deportment; to watch over each other in brotherly love, pray for each other and aid each other in sickness and distress, ever remembering the best of all rules “Do unto others as you would have others do unto you.”

 

This statement gives a general overview of what is expected of the church member.

The second part of the Dunkard Brethren church covenant addresses more specific issues such as military service, secret societies, using the law, oaths, profane swearing, divorce, tobacco, alcohol, conforming to the fashions of the world, attendance at places of amusement and television sets.

The person being received into the church is then asked:

“Are you willing to conform to the teaching as understood by the church?”
Answer, “I am.”

Then Matt. 18:10-22 is read. This is Jesus’ instruction on how the Christian should respond when his brother sins against him. The applicant is then asked:

“Are you willing to be governed by this scripture in the adjustment of difficulties that may arise?”
Answer, “I am.”

What is the purpose of a church covenant? A church covenant is an agreement that the one being received as a member makes with the church. It is a agreement that says I understand the beliefs and the commitments of this body of believers and I willingly commit to uphold this understanding of faith and practice. It is a recognition that I not only have a covenantal relationship with God, I also have a covenantal relationship with my brother and sister in Christ.

It is not being suggested that our church, or any church for that matter, is infallible. Our desire to walk in holiness is always an ongoing attempt to understand the Word and to be able to faithfully apply it in our daily life. Even as God is working a work of sanctification in our lives personally, He works in the life of the believers collectively. It would seem obvious that every generation must wrestle with issues of application of truth. You cannot put a fence around a moment of time in church life and expect to preserve that moment forever.

What do you think is a healthy balance of understanding the individual’s personal sanctification versus the work of the Holy Spirit’s guidance in the greater body? Do you agree that the Holy Spirit can guide the body in a collective manner?

Probably the statement that creates the greatest question in the mind of some would be the phrase – “as understood by the church” How do you feel about this phrase?

A church covenant states, at least in part, our worldview. It is a brief summary of how we agree to live. It is a general statement. It does not include everything regarding our obedience to God. It is an appeal to our heart, but on its own a covenant cannot change our heart.

It is a confirmation that we are willing to be held accountable. We welcome the ministry of our fellow believers because it helps form Christ in us. And if we would harden our heart and sin against God or our brother, we would desire to be confronted with the love and corrective discipline of our brothers and sisters.

Our church as a covenant community is not a perfect community. We all need to grow in faith and in obedience to our Lord. Those called to lead and feed the church also need to be perfected. Leaders can and sometimes do abuse their calling. We can fall into the serious error of evaluating too much by externals. We need to become a community of discernment. We need to learn how to see beyond the obvious shortcomings of behavior in our brothers and sisters and help the faltering to deal with the root causes of their struggles.

The church is viewed in the New Testament as a gathered community. Paul instructed the Hebrews not to forsake “the assembling of ourselves together”. Another has noted that, “Non-attendance is either a portal to sin or a reflection of sin.” An important characteristic of the church as a covenantal community is its commitment to come together for worship and instruction in righteousness. Unexplained or unjustified lack of attendance by church members over a period of time should likely be viewed as an indicator of spiritual illness.

The church covenant can serve as a personal reminder and challenge that as Christians we are accountable to each other. But it can also be a comfort. To know that others will care for us, pray for us and intervene on our behalf when we struggle spiritually or when we have fallen into carelessness or even grievous sin can be a great comfort.

The church covenant or a church statement of beliefs or policy does not and never should be allowed to replace the Bible. Any statements we make are always subordinate to the Scriptures. But covenants can help clarify expectations in the time and place we live. What is expected of me as a member of this church? When expectations are clarified we will not be surprised when a fellow believer or church leader begins the process of holding us accountable.