Question about Church membership

[FoxintheSnow]

So we just bought a house in the neighborhood dh grew up in. The Presbyterian church close by is where he went to Sunday School throughout childhood, was confirmed at, etc. He really hasn't been back since childhood, but since we moved back into the neighborhood we've attended their Easter service and want to attend other events here and there.

My question is when I signed ds up for Vacation Bible school and look into other programs, the forms always ask if we are members. Now DH was a member...are you a member for life? And does the rest of the family need to join seperately? Im not sure how it all works. I wasn't sure how to answer.

[EnviroBecca]

The best way to be sure is to ask the church! Just call the church office.

[JamieCatheryn]

In my church you consider yourself a member if you consider it your home church, mostly means regularly attending there and volunteering and/or giving financial support if you can. Some have a more formal arrangement and keep rolls though, so ask.

[mmace]

I'm also Presbyterian. In my church once you formally join you are a member unless you request to no longer be one (the reason most often is if you move your membership to another church). You would not be a member since you never joined, but your husband probably still is.

[Adele_Mommy]

Are you sure your dh was a member? At my church only adults are members. Children are the youth of a church and when they turn 18 and/or graduate from high school we have a ceremony where they are acknowledged as adults and at that time they can join the church and become members or not as they choose.

If your dh was a member then he almost certainly still is, and your ds does not need to join separately, but you probably can if you want to.

[Smokering]

This will vary from denomination to denomination, if not from church to church, so best call.

In most 'low-church' churches I know, one remains a member as long as one doesn't resign, transfer membership to another church or get kicked out for bad behavior. Memberships don't automatically extend to spouses and children, and memberships are formal (ie. one doesn't gradually drift in and out of membership, there's a document or ceremony or something). In my church members are usually adults, by default more than anything else; but this might be different in paedobaptist churches?

Better check.

[lilyka]

each denomination does it their own way. and what membership implies means also varies. the only way to know for sure is to call the church. when I was methodist it took about 15 years of not attending before they asked me if I no longer wished to be a member.

[purplestraws]

If it's a PCUSA church and he went through the confirmation-type classes, then he's most likely a member. That's when kids officially "join" the church and can vote. You'll have to join the church yourself which might involve baptism if you don't have a certificate of baptism from another church.

My husband and I (both members) had to officially revoke our membership when we stopped attending and did not want to transfer our memberships to another Presbyterian church...

[TzippityDoulah]

I would call and ask... but generally you're only a member for so long after you leave. and rarely must you be a member to be an attender.