Church Membership? Commandment of God or Man?

The real reason some, NOT  all, but some pastor's badger us to join their churches is the M O N E Y.

The more people they can put on a guilt trip to join "their" church or ministry, the more money they can "COUNT" on to afford their extravagant shopping sprees at their favorite exclusive department stores and maintain their mortgage payments on their palatial homes and jet set life styles from monies collected from tithes and offerings of "their" members.  These imposter's are in every city and neighborhood in our Nation.  

Church “membership” is a very old tradition and commandment of countless leaders that has thrust some who serve in the office of ‘pastor’ into divers temptations inciting them to become prideful, controlling and greedy defectors of the faith.  Wolves! Ravenous, Greedy Wolves! Why? Because church membership IS really all about the money that is very likely to come through each person sitting in their spiritual clubhouses, and in some severe cases where the self appointed "pastor" literally, considers himself the CEO or the founder..."Hmmm?   I smell a rat, don't you?"

When a CEO starts a company and it begins to grow, it is the responsibility of the VP’s to take the vision and heart of the CEO and pass it on to the people they are in charge of.  If the VP’s decide to create their own strategies for making profits for themselves by manipulating the people to have allegiances to them by implementing their own clicks and prerequisites to be apart of "their" divisions, or shall I say departments, these people would be fired for conspiracy or embezzlement, for a wise CEO knows the potential of having a ‘hostile’ take over. Can you imagine Donald Trump tolerating this type of behavior?  He says, “Only the best works for his companies.”  How much more does Jesus Christ put a demand on those He really sends.  They will NOT try to usurp his authority over his follower's by dividing them with “their” teachings and brainwashing them into believing false doctrines and blatant lies that benefit their personal bank accounts and the stroke of their ego's as many constantly boast how many "members" they have in their cults.....ooopsy!  I meant to say "their" church, in this context, their schism.

A schism is a separation, faction, split, group, division or sect that causes God’s people to have allegiances to messenger’s rather than to himself!  Sad, but true, many “churches” are cults. They are control centers where the ‘pastor’ is a dictator and their follower's are fans of the man.  Some of these 'fans' will break out and try to  fight you if you call "their" pastor by his first or last name instead of calling him The Most Honorable, Doctor, Bishop, Elder Williams, Senior and Chief Pastor..............Ooooooh!  I can't take it!  Can you?  These same "church members" will cuss you out and then swear up and down you are the devil because you do not want to "JOIN" their cult......OOOPSY AGAIN!.....I meant to say "their church."  However, My Friend, you must understand that once you are really born again by the Spirit of God, you are already a “member” of the Body of Christ.  Membership is not what you need to seek after, but rather fellowship with other believers. There is a huge difference. 

Listen very carefully as I realize some of you will struggle with what I am submitting here.   Church Membership is NOT of God… fellowship is! This is a teaching, tradition and COMMANDMENT OF MEN that is shrouded in selfish ambition by those who herald it as "A Law" of God.  And for many sincere followers of Christ, it has caused them to be fearful to visit other fellowships when it is time to move on to mature or simply to find relief from the controlling, petty clicks and strife that usually is very prevalent in churches where the pastor is constantly invoking "FEAR" tactics to keep "their" members under their control.  Multitudes of church attendees feel as though they are committing sin because they want to visit and to perhaps find another house of worship and fellowship. After all, some of us have been ’members’ of our churches for years and years because of the fear of leaving in light of the negative, manipulative exhortations of pastor's with impure motives to keep you bound to them. 

Please excuse me while I take this small bunny trail.....

HEY!  Pastors!   Leave God's people ALONE!!   Get a job if you want a new Rolex Watch! 

Get a job if you want to take your family on vacation and pay your kids college tuition! 

Stop playing the mind games with God's People!! They are not sinning because they want to "church hop" as some of you would call it!  You "shop" for shoes until you find the right fit, there eternal soul is worth a whole lot more than a new pair of shoes!!! They can visit as many churches as they want too!! They found your church didn't they? ?   You are obviously not the right fit anymore, that is why they are "shopping around," visiting! Their feet hurt!  Time for a new pair of shoes!   Leave them ALONE!!! 

Okay!  My Bunny trail is over.....
Now when mentioning church membership, I am referring to signing covenants and taking oaths with a group of confessing Christians.  I am speaking of the unrelenting altar calls for people to “join” a local church and make it their “church home.” This is extremely divisive and has set up many leaders for spiritual corruption unaware as they take on a pseudo superiority complex. Not to mention the constant thought of financial security that comes with “new members” being recruited into their clubhouses. And we wonder why there is so much strife amongst pastors?  They want that financial security.  They got to have it and so they have collectively indoctrinated millions to believe they "MUST" have a "Church Home."  Like a bank, everyone is told we "MUST" have somewhere to do our "Financial Business."  However, fellowship of sincere follower's of Jesus Christ is NOT a business! It is not to be used to recruit and divide the global family of God. Yet, because we have treated it like one, demanding attendees to adhere to “membership” rituals, oaths and competitive ploys to attract more and more members, we have a floodgate of imposter's looking to start their next venture and plan to scam those who are not mature in Christ to know the difference between "membership" and 'citzenship."  If you are born again by the Spirit of God, YOU ARE A MEMBER OF THE BODY OF CHRIST!  That's it!  There is NO MORE!  Now it's time to seek out other sincere follower's of Christ to FELLOWSHIP with them, that's it!  There is NO MORE!!!  All else is control and humanism at its best.


Anytime you have a group, faction, split, group, division, sect or schism as Paul warns us not to have within the Body of Christ, someone has to be ‘the head,’ however, in the Body of Christ, there is ONLY ONE head – Jesus Christ! When we brake off into what some call “local” Bodies of Christ, we have in fact come away from the Head of the Church. It’s like cancer cells that promote themselves without regard for the other parts of the body.

1Corinthians 3:3-7 For you are yet carnal, for whereas there is among you envying, and strife, and divisions, are you not carnal, and walk as men? For while one says, I am of Paul; and another, I am of Apollos are you not carnal? Who then is Paul, and who is Apollos, but ministers by who you believed, even as the Lord gave to every man? I have planted, Apollos watered; but God gave the increase. So then neither is he that plants any thing, neither he that waters but God that gives the increase........

God cannot increase where He is not THE HEAD!!  Sorry! BUT   Pastors are not the head of God's sincere follower's of His Son, Jesus Christ!  GOD IS!!!!

In the physical body, if an organ becomes infected with cancer and the cancer is not removed, but rather it begins to call other cells to itself, you are going to have a problem, a tumor that it.  This tumor will begin to destroy other cells as it continues to grow, eventually, these cells will no longer obey the brain. They take over! Death is likely inevitable unless these mutant cells are isolated, cut out, or burned out with chemotherapy. And so it is the same in the Kingdom of God. 

Jesus IS the head of the REAL Body of Christ, NOT self appointed pastors whose motivation is success, money and power.   God is looking for His servants! Where are you!  Preacher!  Has your ministry become a mutant cancer cell in America? Who and what are you really promoting?

Church membership has produced ungodly soul ties and allegiances to mortal men and women who have absolutely NO power to forgive sin.  This doctrine and tradition has become a catalyst to the seduction of many pastors who are extremely territorial, dictatorial and manipulative towards their congregations. It has provoked selfish ambition, covetousness, competitiveness, strife and envy towards other pastors as they claim others are stealing ‘their’ sheep. Their members! Some will go as far as withholding ministry to others because they are not a ‘member’ of their cult. Oops! I meant to say “church.”  Pastors in America, do you not understand how divisive this practice is?  Do we not understand the people that some of us have been graced to feed and lead for Christ, is not ours?  We should never refer to God's people as “my” or ‘mine.’

Pastors, where do some of you get the nerve to be upset because ‘your’ people went somewhere else to visit? If you were really concerned about citizenship rather than membership, you would be joyous they are not backslidden! You should be glad they are still in the fellowship of the saints.  Many pastor's cry like babies, accusing others of stealing “their” people. “Church Membership” dogma and practices does employ this type of mentality. It is anti-Christ! It is the gateway to becoming a wolf in sheep’s clothing.  Why?  Because our advocacy should not be membership in a local assembly, but rather fellowship with the Body of Christ. There is a huge difference between the two.  Multitudes in church assemblies are not follower's of Jesus Christ, they are religious church goers.  Are you one of them?

Listen to this VERY carefully,  Hebrews 10:25-26 tells us, "..And let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works; not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another; and so much the more, as you see the day approaching.

Unless the pastor or leader of a group has another hidden, personal agenda, what is the real purpose of being a member of their ministry, when the Word of God tells us simply to fellowship with one another? Paul has told us not to create a schism or division within ourselves that we have embraced in America as a normal thing to do by “joining” a church. This is very dangerous as church membership brings with it an ‘unspoken’ and unseen soul tie to the group or person that leads the group.

It is very interesting to note that many of us are very quick to quote the above verse of scripture while leaving out the most important part of what it is saying, which is this, fellowship! This text is telling us not to neglect fellowship with other believers.’ We must understand that membership is not the same as fellowship, for there are multitudes of people that have been given the right hand of fellowship who are not real believers. They are not citizens of the Kingdom of God, at all! Do we not realize that we are allowing those that are living lifestyles of willful sin to feel justified with God when we embrace them into our fellowships? We are partakers of their sin! We are in essence helping them to stay on the wide road that leads to destruction as we so persistently invite them to come and ‘join’ our churches.

Multitudes can boast they are members of someone’s church while they are living blatant, sinful lifestyles. Why? Because this doctrine and advocacy of church membership has excluded the most important requirement of the early church fellowships, REPENTANCE! The right hand of fellowship was not given to ‘first time’ visitors. It was not given to those that ‘felt’ that the church was their home. It was given to those that were proven; not to whoever wanted to be a ‘member.’

For this reason, we have a deluge of sin in the church because we allow anyone to come in. We do not know who these people are that are ‘joining’ our churches. We do not have a clue! Why? Because My Friend, as long as we are after membership instead of citizenship, we will not seek to ‘know’ them that labor among us. We are to busy counting heads instead of seeking to know the heart of the heads that we are counting. We have been seduced into building ‘churches’ or shall I say, social clubs that are filled with sinners that have never met the real Jesus. We have become pre-occupied with letting people know what we believe instead of taking the time to find out what they believe!


The ‘commandment’ to go to “new members” classes and all the rules associated with a church group are unbelievable! Not to mention the ‘restrictions’ that come to those that have not pledged to be apart of some of our churches. God forbid if you have a need in any area of your life and you have been ‘visiting’ but you have not made a "commitment" you can forget it!   If you are not a member you cannot be baptized, married, counseled, and do not even think about asking for some money! In many cases you will be lucky to even meet with the pastor if you are not a “member.” This is anti-Christ My Friend!  Run for Your Life!


Pastors,’ what is the real reason some of you are requiring God’s people to show their W-2 forms? Is it really about God, or are you making sure you keep tabs on your house payments and extravagant vacations? This is control at its best! Some of you better go and examine your hearts. God is going to get you for playing these games with His people.

No more schisms! Can we just all get along! Can we all just have some fellowship? A person is not evil, backslidden, or rebellious because they do not want to “join” a church and go to anymore ‘new members’ classes that has worn many of us out! The truth is that many have been controlled all of their lives. They should not be controlled in the name of Jesus too! There is a very fine line between leading and controlling in the Name of Jesus Christ. A very fine line.


Jesus does NOT require us to “join” a church so that we can be baptized or have our children dedicated by the pastor, so why are we requiring God’s people to do this? Why? Can you imagine John the Baptist insisting that Jesus first “join” his ministry to be baptized? Can you imagine that? What are we really saying to God’s people when they have needs and you will not help them because they are not members of ‘your’ church? What are we really saying? Are we saying money first, then you can receive our services? Why else are we putting restrictions on people that do not necessarily want to “join” our ministries? Why? Why? Why?


Freely we have received; freely we should give to whosoever! Let us stop lying to ourselves and to God’s people pastors! Most want the money! This is why this IS PASTORS favorite pet doctrine in America. We are relentlessly dogmatic about it. Dogma divides! It brings division within the body of Christ where there should be ‘no’ schism, as Paul has written to us. Instead of trying to get people to join our churches we need to make sure they are ‘really’ joined to The CHURCH, the ecclesia, which in the Greek means ‘called out ones’, the Body of Christ.

You that is reading this article, have you ‘really’ been called out? Are you really a ‘member’ of the Body of Christ? If this is your reality, you should fellowship with other follower's of Jesus Christ, which are everywhere! Not necessarily in one ‘church’ group or building, but rather in the hearts of his people that may only be a few out of 10,000 church ‘members.’ It is the Spirit of Christ that establishes unity and community, not rituals and forms that state our allegiance to one another. Do you know Jesus for real My Friend?  Are you really a member of His Body?


If you are a pastor and you are feeling upset with what you have just read, it is very likely that you are trying to control people with this doctrine of church membership for your own selfish reasons. I realize this is the popular thing, but the fact of the matter, is that most churches that are dogmatic about ‘church membership’ is without any ‘real’ expression of love towards the ’members’ of their clubs, oops! I meant to say churches!  Multitudes of Christians can share their testimonies on how they had a need in their personal lives and when they went to their “church home” for help, they were not helped, at all!!! And if they were helped, it was after being treated like a criminal for having a bad financial season in their lives. These people have been in their churches for years. They are not strangers and they are treated ill.


As a matter of fact, in many cases these people are the “faithful” ones that helped to build the new buildings they are now being neglected and disregarded in. This is the reality of multitudes, why? Because church membership does not benefit anyone but the ones that are pushing it! Church Membership really means…….MONEY!!!    COME ON!!!  Let's stop playing games and tell the truth!   Members = Money!

Pastors’ how can you ever justify having thousands of dollars in your church bank account and when a member of your church has a need you refer them to United Way? How can you ever justify this type of neglect of the poor and the needy? How can some of us sleep at night knowing we have turned down assisting those that have had sincere needs that were not members of our clubs?  How can we justify this before God? HOW?

This membership dogma has spiritually caused more harm than it has helped many of God’s people.  Especially considering the fact that as human beings we do have a need to be apart of something. We have a need be accepted, acknowledged and encouraged by those who are our peers.  However, when it comes to your soul,  My Friend, make sure you are a ‘real’ member of the Body of Christ and that you know the voice of the Head of the church ~ Jesus Christ.  For there are multitudes of people in our nation that do have ‘church homes,’ they are members of their local churches, yet they are not joined to the Body. They are not joined to the Spirit of Christ. They are churchgoers submitted to mortal men that keep them in bondage to them and sin.  Spiritual Pharoah's building their personal treasure cities off of their member's money, time and their dimes ~10% tithes that is.

I know, I know! Some will ask the question, what about our building funds and ministries that we are trying to build? This is the problem!  The unrelenting exhortations on how it takes money to pay the bills….. We Know This!  Most pastors and church leaders would have the money to pay the bills and never have to mention them to their congregations if they would stop spending it on themselves.  Expensive cars, clothes, palatial homes and in many instances employ backslidden musicians who charge very large amounts of money to "entertain" the people; ooopsy!  I’m sorry, I meant to say, to “minister” to the people of God.  By the way, why are we paying musicians and we do not pay the Sunday school teachers, deacons, ushers and the rest of those that serve in the House of the Lord?


My Friend, get this one thing very clear in your heart ~ It does not take money to spread the Gospel.... It takes a mouthpiece to spread the Gospel! This bares repeating. IT DOES NOT TAKE MONEY TO SPREAD THE GOSPEL, IT TAKES A MOUTHPIECE TO SPREAD THE GOSPEL! So let us stop lying and seducing one another with our admonitions to “fund” the Kingdom. What kingdom are we really talking about? Jesus told us that the kingdom of God comes without observation, but rather, it is in you! Luke 17:20 Paul the apostle tells us in Romans 14:17 that the expression of the Kingdom of God is not meat or drink, but it is righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Ghost. How can anything from the earth support or finance this ‘invisible’ Kingdom that is on the inside of each believer? Pause and think here My Friend! Please!  Pause and think!

If the above scripture is correct as Jesus has told us where the Kingdom of God is and Paul tells us the result of possessing the Kingdom, then why do we have countless “members” of our clubs, oops! - churches, that are living in deplorable conditions? Meanwhile, those that boast of taking care of the Kingdom of God continues to amass fortunes under the guise and relentless exhortation of “give to the Kingdom,” Yeah! Their kingdom!
God does not dwell in buildings made with the hands of men, His habitation is in the heart of sincere followers of His Son.  We can keep building brick and mortar and dedicate it to God if we want too, but My Friend, He does not want it!  He wants what he paid for with His son's Blood.....your life!! 

Without understanding the power of words and the “play” on words. The Kingdom of God that many of us have been seduced to take care of relentlessly with our finances, is not the Kingdom of God, but rather kingdoms of this world. These same kingdoms are in fact, controlled by earthly kings. Men and women that use “spiritual” semantics/language to fleece multitudes.  Are you one of them?

Not everyone that teaches on the Kingdom of God is evil and pre-occupied with the things of this world, but there are many that have been seduced and reduced to peddling, fleecing and prostituting those they have “influence” over under the guise of “Kingdom” semantics. They have personal assets they cannot afford without your “giving.”

If I told you I needed you to help me pay for my extravagant shopping sprees, vacations, palatial house mortgage, multiple car payments and expensive jewels, you would not do it, now would you? But if I told you as a “minister” of the Gospel, that you needed to give to the “Kingdom of God” so that you would be blessed and I could “further” the Gospel, you are more than likely to give to “the kingdom.”

The church needs and the kingdom needs are their front. And so droves of innocent Christians are giving with hopes of being “blessed” without insisting that those they give their money too, be accountable. Where is the money going besides into bigger buildings that are in many cases not needed, at all? Why does the average church in America not have a significant outreach for the poor and the needy within their fellowships? Why? Because the greedy do not care about the needy! They are self-absorbed! This is why church membership is so very important to earthly kings. They must have dominion over their subjects, control is what keeps them king!

How can some of us boast of being a “Kingdom” church when those that really do possess the Kingdom, are despised and left to isolation as the kings of these earthly kingdoms fare sumptuously? When some of them do give to the needy and less fortunate, they tell it from the rooftops! They make sure to keep the church up-dated on their generosity. Saints of God, who is your pastor? Do you really know who they are? Do you know that Jesus calls and commissions His servants to perfect you, not prostitute you?

If you are living in poverty at this present time in your life, for whatever the reasons, can you go to your pastor and receive help if you really needed it? If your answer is any other than YES, you need to get out of there and stop being mesmerized by their material assets and oratorical skills that many have perfected O’ so well. Masters of ‘enticing words’ of men’s wisdom, charismatic! Smooth Operators! Wolves, Ravenous Wolves!

Poverty rates our growing while America is the third richest nation in the entire world! We are also the largest populated nation with confessing Christians. We have nearly 290 million people in our nation; 189 million are confessing Christians. According to the US Census Bureau, close to 36 million Americans live under the poverty level, while millions are homeless. Something is definitely wrong with this picture!  So much for "Church Membership?"

We have never heard so much talk about the “kingdom” as we have in the past few years. It sounds really good doesn’t it? It has the tendency to make one sound and look very “deep.” Some really like to use the word apostolic, prophetic, glory and anointing. However, the sad truth is that many of us our apostate rather than apostolic! Pathetic rather than prophetic! Greedy rather than glorious! Annoying rather than anointed! It is true! If it was not so, our Nation would not be in the spiritual condition that it is in with all of the “church members” that we have like never before.

Over three (3) billion dollars is given to ministries throughout the United States annually. Where is this money going when we consider all the poor “members” in many of our churches? Why are countless buildings and outreach programs being erected in our midst while the buildings, or shall I say the ‘tabernacles’ (people of God) in our ‘memberships’ are being relentlessly neglected and cursed for being poor and needy. Why? They are members seduced and coerced by teachings of men that come from men that desire financial security at the expense of its ‘members.’ Are you one of them? Have you been indoctrinated and manipulated into being apart of man’s organized church rather than God’s real church of follower's of Jesus Christ? Is your pastor really a shepherd of Jesus Christ or is he or she a self centered, manipulative charlatan who is addicted to praise and honor...they usually refer to themselves  and insist that others call them Dr. Reverend Bishop Johnson, Senior Pastor......Hmmmm?

In the infancy stage of the church, the people were not under the yoke of manipulation of mortal men soliciting their membership for selfish gain, but rather the Spirit of the Lord knitted them together. It was real fellowship, which cannot take place without the Holy Spirit no matter how many people are present in a building or what type of forms they are commanded to sign to become apart of the church club.

Acts 4:32 tells us, And the multitude of them believed were of one heart and of one soul; neither said any of them that ought of the things which he possessed was his own; but they had all things common. Hmmm! If we could just get the pastors in America to feel this way, talk about revival! All things common! Wow! That would be amazing! That means some of us would have to let someone stay in our ten bedroom mansions that are empty except for you. We would have to share some of our monies with them, for real! This would mean that poverty and homelessness would likely dissipate in America!

Beware of those who pride themselves on being “Kingdom” this, and “Kingdom” that, but yet, they overlook one of the most powerful kingdom “principles,” community! I'm not talking about the community that your church building is in, but rather the community inside of your fellowship. The community of believer’s that in many cases are being totally disregarded and prostituted as many have been seduced into trying to save their communities and neighborhoods while their ‘neighbors’ that fellowship in their midst week in and week out are destitute and downtrodden.

Pastors and leaders, how can we ever justify living extravagant lifestyles while multitudes in our congregations are poor? How do we justify hoarding monies in our personal accounts while countless people in our community, I’m talking about the community of saints in our fellowships here; they have no account? How do we justify having church “outreach” functions while our “in reach” has been limited to Holiday dinners and summer picnics? What are we doing for our “community” for real?


Pastors, what are you doing for those in your care, for we are a very far cry from “all things common,” but yet we have never had so many members; very poor ones at that! Come on church leaders, what have you done for your “community” lately? We do not need another political agenda in America. We do not need another reform by the government. We need a reformation in our church leadership! Many are fleecing America with man-made teachings and dogmas that advocates allegiance to church leaders through membership as they have no tangible proof of being sent by the Lord who was concerned about the poor, widows and orphans. You want to know the measure of love that your leader has for God? Check out what they are doing consistently for the poor in your churches, whether they are members or not?

My Friend who is leading you?  Get past their great charisma to preach and administrate, who are these people you are submitting your money and time too? Who really are they?  Could it be that this dogma about "Church Membership" is really ALL about the the Benjamins and most of us believe its all about us?