Cleaning up church membership lists

While I hear stories almost daily from pastors across the country, I was stunned by the following email from a faithful deacon at a Baptist church:

«"I would like to have the opportunity to speak with you about purging the church membership rolls. Yesterday I began compiling a list of widows from our database and found that of the 141 widows in our database, 38 have already passed away and 4 have transferred their membership to other churches (not counting those classified as "Inactive" or "Non-Resident").".

One can only imagine how the late-night show hosts might joke about this: «Heard about the thirty-eight deceased members of Faith Alive Baptist Church? Looks like the church should change its name!» This might be funny if it weren’t so typical of churches across our country and elsewhere.

Poor records and outdated membership lists make life difficult for every faithful pastor. But before you get things in order, it’s worth considering why and how to do it.

Why should churches review and clean up their membership lists?

1. The name of Christ and His glory are at stake in this world. Consider the apostle Paul's fervent concern for those associated with the Corinthian church (1 Cor. 5).
2. Church membership should reflect, as far as possible, membership in the Kingdom of Christ. We should not admit or exclude members without serious grounds. «Removing someone from the list» should be treated with the utmost care, even if the member himself was negligent.
3. Pastors, elders, and leaders will one day give an account to God for their shepherding (Heb. 13:17). God punished the shepherds of Israel for their continued unfaithfulness (e.g., Ezek. 34).
4. Congregations will also give an account to God for how they receive members. Notice who Paul was addressing in 1 Corinthians 5!
5. Less mature Christians may be confused about the importance of the church in the life of a growing Christian and may be inclined to apathy.
6. A church member who has moved to another city should be encouraged to join the church in his new place of residence and to meet other believers there. If he does not do so, his former church should send him a letter or call him asking him to do so. If he does not respond, the church should inform him that at the next members’ meeting a decision will be made to remove his name from the roll, thereby making it clear that the church can no longer be responsible for his life.

How should churches review and purge membership lists?

If you try to fix all the problems with your church’s membership lists at once, you’ll run into serious trouble. But it’s hard to predict where. Will your members be happy to remove local inactive members? Those who have moved? Those who have died? Pastor, be careful and do only what your people can handle at the moment. Be patient and teach until they are ready for the change.

So where do you start? Imagine a series of concentric circles (like a dartboard), with the center (the most effective point) representing true membership. The outer rings are the empty membership, and hopefully these will be the easiest to clean up. As you move from the outer rings toward the center, your membership lists should increasingly consist of believers who are actively involved in the life of your local church.

Let's start with the outer circle and move towards the center:

1. Members who have died. (We found 10 of these in our church!) This is the outer circle that is easiest to organize. At the next membership meeting where church business is discussed, bring these names up for the congregation to consider with a proposal to remove them from the membership roll at the next meeting. Don’t call for an immediate decision, but give everyone time to consider the proposal.
2. Members Who Cannot Be Found. This is probably the next easiest category to organize. In our church, two sisters spent six months trying to find about seventy members without success! When all possible efforts were exhausted, these names were submitted to the congregation for assistance in the search. If no further information could be obtained, a motion was made at the next membership meeting to remove these individuals from the roll.
3. Absent and Apathetic Members. We had dozens of members in our church who we could find but who were unwilling to communicate with us. For example, we found one woman in Germany. She had become a Unitarian (that is, one who denies the doctrine of the Trinity) and was even offended that we had contacted her.
4. Members who live outside your city or region. These are people who cannot attend church regularly because of distance, and any meaningful responsibility is almost impossible. You will likely encounter people with a misconception of membership in this group: «I have been a member of this church since 1959, when I sang in the youth choir,» or «I came to church in 1970 and promised my mother I would remain a faithful member.» Despite the emotional attachment to your local church, this group needs a proper understanding of church membership. Remember, pastor, you will be accountable for these people. Don’t get into a situation where your lists include names of people you have never met. At the next membership meeting, a motion should be made to remove these people for «non-attendance.».
5. Inactive members within a city or region. This is without a doubt one of the most difficult circles to work with. These people want to remain members, they may attend church, but they are not interested in interacting with it. This circle is often difficult because of the relationships these individuals have with those who attend church. It may be an adult child or an old choir friend. Again, it takes teaching, and it should be gradual.

These first five categories are the largest and most obvious to purge. There are other categories, such as «attends but does not sign your church’s declaration of faith» or «lives within the area but cannot attend.» Old age or illness may prevent a member from attending church; they should not be excluded, but they should be given special care! We also encourage special care for elderly members who have moved to other areas to nursing homes. Why? They often grew up with a different understanding of church membership and are unlikely to change it. Out of love for them, consider keeping them on the lists.

Again, for the love of your people, don’t purge the lists faster than your church can handle. For some, it can take years to go through the various circles. Churches are too often divided by careless pastoral care, when unity should be the goal. Remember, each entry on your list is not just a name; it is a soul.