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Realizing the presence, promise, and power of the Kingdom of God.
Pastor to Pastor

Who Belongs Here?

Not everyone can be a church member.

Giants of the Reformation (6)

“Do not judge according to appearance, but judge with righteous judgment.” John 7.24

Institutes of the Christian Religion
John Calvin (1509-1564)
“Accordingly, the Lord by certain marks and tokens has pointed out to us what we should know about the church…And, since assurance of faith was not necessary, he substituted for it a certain charitable judgment where we recognize as members of the church those who, by confession of faith, by example of life, and partaking of the sacraments, profess the same God and Christ with us.”

The church is not a society for everyone; we have to make some judgments about who does and does not belong. Not that we turn people away who are not members of our congregation. However, we do expect that those who seek to unite with our local body, and thus to enjoy the shared benefits of our communal life, will confess the same faith we confess, increase in knowledge and fruitfulness, and participate in the worship of Christ and the sacraments He has established. The first and last of these are easy. The middle one – increase in knowledge and fruitfulness – requires continuous oversight and instruction (Heb. 13.17). This is the work of shepherds. Church membership is a commitment not merely to a local congregation, but to the Lord, for increased faith and fruitfulness, under the guiding hand of faithful shepherds, and with the aid of fellow church members. We do not belong to a church simply because we have completed some membership process. We show that we belong by fulfilling the Lord’s expectations for all the members of His Body.

How are the members of your church encouraged to mark the progress of their faith and thus prove – not earn, prove – their salvation?

T. M. Moore

Pastoral Hope Initiative
Pastor, where are you in your walk with and work for the Lord? Are you growing? Covering all the bases? Working fruitfully toward the Kingdom of God? Our Pastoral Hope Initiative can help you establish a framework and baseline for steady, fruitful growth into the Lord Jesus. We have permanently waived the fee for men who want to work through this 14-week protocol. Watch this brief video, then, if you’re interested, let me hear from you at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

The Fellowship of Ailbe is supported through the generous and faithful gifts of those who benefit from and believe in our work. Does the Lord want to use you in this way? Please look to Him in prayer over this question. You can contribute to The Fellowship of Ailbe by using the Contribute button at our website, or by sending your gift to The Fellowship of Ailbe, 19 Tyler Drive, Essex Junction, VT 05452. Thank you.

Except as indicated, Scripture taken from the New King James Version. © Copyright 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
All quotations from John Calvin, Institutes of the Christian Religion, John T. McNeill, ed., Ford Lewis Battles, tr. (Philadelphia: The Westminster Press, 1960), Vol. 2, Book IV, pp. 1012ff.

T.M. Moore

T. M. Moore is principal of The Fellowship of Ailbe, a spiritual fellowship in the Celtic Christian tradition. He and his wife, Susie, make their home in the Champlain Valley of Vermont.
Books by T. M. Moore

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