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How often must a person attend church to .....?

How often must a person attend church to be on the membership roll? A church has 20 adults and we think the minimum required to keep the doors open is 25. This is a denomination where there are multiple churches in a district. Based on our experience we would not be surprised to find out they are fudging the numbers by counting a man and woman who left the church 1.5 years ago. Maybe even a deceased man from 2 years ago. Thanks.

Update:

The requirement at this church is 25 and dictated by the district office. Pastors with free house and expenses have reason to fudge on the 25 minimum. Two members left in 2019. Officially left and gave reasons. They might be still counting them as members. 

7 Answers

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  • User
    Lv 7
    1 month ago
    Favorite Answer

    1) How often must a person attend church to be on the membership roll?

    Usually

    how often a person attends church

    has nothing to do

    with whether or not they are on "the membership roll".

    Note also

    that many churches do not have any such thing as a "membership role".

    2) A church has 20 adults and we think the minimum required to keep the doors open is 25. This is a denomination where there are multiple churches in a district. Based on our experience we would not be surprised to find out they are fudging the numbers by counting a man and woman who left the church 1.5 years ago. Maybe even a deceased man from 2 years ago. Thanks.

    Fudging the numbers

    could not possibly help to "keep the doors open".

    Church membership rolls

    often are lax about removing people from the roll

    since it's often unclear why a particular person has stopped attending

    or even IF they have stopped attending.

    After all: it's not like the church officials take attendance at the start of each service!

    And even if they did...

    Imagine a person stopped attending for six months

    so you, the pastor, struck them from the rolls...

    and then you discover that the person suffered a crippling accident, he was recuperating for six months, and he shows up the next service.

    "Gosh, we figured you were dead, so you're no longer a member."

    Not very tactful!

  • Derek
    Lv 5
    1 month ago

    Some groups require you to study their teachings for six months or so, and to attend regularly and then you have to correctly answer a long list of questions on their doctrines and practices. After that, you may be allowed to be baptised and become a member. But most Christian groups don't even require membership to come to church and be embraced lovingly by them! Just come along and join in the worship and the loving fellowship - no membership needed! Jesus said he would build his church and the gates of hades would never overcome it. To be part of THAT interdenominational group, just make the same confession of faith Peter did in Matthew 16:13-21. That’s the ONLY Church you need to belong to to belong to Jesus!

  • 1 month ago

    That is kind of a difficult question.  There are people who only go to church at certain times of the year - Easter, and Christmas especially, but, on those days, they ALWAYS go.  They might also be big givers.  Can they be considered members?  Some say yes, and others no.  Some come almost every week, but give nothing, or very little.   Others once in a while. 

    Because of these things, many think the idea of "membership" to be a silly one.  Yes, it makes sense for some things as well, like hiring a pastor (appointing a priest, or whatever), and so on.  My church has a "parish roll," and we are supposed to report the numbers to the bishop every year, but, it is a difficult task getting the numbers straight, as people on our parish council differ on who we think should be on it!

  • Anonymous
    1 month ago

    I've never heard of such a thing.

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  • Anonymous
    1 month ago

    Jesus never said anything about going to church to be saved.  He taught us to love one another as we love ourselves and to honor God in all that we do.  It was Paul that said Do not forget the assembling of yourselves together, to encourage one another in Christ.  

  • Joe
    Lv 4
    1 month ago

    How often: depends on the church.

    Minimum required:  no idea what this referring to. There is no minimum requirement that I find anywhere in the Bible.

    Yes, unfortunately some churches do not keep accurate membership numbers, but that are probably many reasons for that, some are sinful reasons, some are just a weakness in that church.

  • Anonymous
    1 month ago

    Each church has different standards when it comes to membership. Personally, I don't even see anything in the Bible about church "membership." It's really a man-made concept that has little, if any, Scriptural support. The most important thing is that you find a church that is clear on the Gospel and teaches verse-by-verse through the Bible.

    The Bible teaches that we are all sinners who deserve eternal separation from God in hell. But the good news is that the Lord Jesus Christ died on the cross to pay for all our sins and rose again (1 Cor. 15:3-4). Because of the shed blood of Christ, no one has to go to hell. All one must do to receive eternal life is to believe in Jesus Christ for that free gift! The moment you believe in Christ alone to save you (apart from works), you are kept eternally secure and will go to heaven when you die no matter what.

    "Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life" (John 5:24).

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