How do I become a member of St. Matthews Baptist Church?
Any person regardless of race, color, or national origin, may offer himself/herself in person or by proxy, as a candidate for membership in this church at any regular worship service in any of the following ways:
- Upon satisfactory evidence of personal saving experience with Jesus Christ and upon a public profession of faith in Jesus Christ as Savior and a commitment of one’s life to Him as Lord, a person may be received as a candidate for baptism. New Testament baptism symbolizes both a historical fact and a present experience. The historical fact is the death, burial and resurrection of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ; the present experience is the death of the believer to the old life of sin, and resurrection to the new life in Christ. The mode of baptism is immersion in water. The believer submits to the ordinance of baptism as an act of obedience to the Lord, but the ordinance is not a part of, nor essential to, his salvation.
- A person may be received upon presentation of, or promise of, a letter of dismissal from another church of like faith and order.
- A person may be received upon statement of a prior conversion experience and baptism when no letter is obtainable.
- Any former member whose relationship has been terminated for any reason whatsoever may, upon the recommendation of the Membership Committee and the vote of the Church, be restored to full membership.
- Persons who are temporary residents in the city or who are members of another denomination or have other justifiable reasons, as determined by the Membership Committee, and would like to come under spiritual watch care of our church, may do so by presenting themselves for membership.
- Persons who are born again believers and make a profession of faith in Christ but due to infirmity are unable to receive New Testament baptism may be received under the spiritual watch care. These persons shall have rights and privileges ordinarily afforded full members of the Church such as benefit of the clergy and pastoral care, participation in the observance of the Lord’s Supper, etc. However, they shall not hold general office in the Church or its organizations or vote in Church business meetings, unless specifically approved by the Church. When such persons are able and are baptized by immersion, they shall be received into full membership.