# Communion & Church Membership



## rrfranks (Nov 27, 2009)

What do you think, should participation in The Lord's Supper be tied to church membership? For example if you have a covenant child who has grown up in the church and has not become a communicant member of the church should they be allowed to take communion?


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## Scott1 (Nov 27, 2009)

Not tied to membership of that visible church, but tied to at least being in fellowship with an evangelical church (where the gospel is preached). So, a visitor who is say a member of a Baptist church could, after hearing the Lord's Table fenced, participate in communion at a Presbyterian one.

A child who has not yet been examined for a credible profession of faith would not be, unless and until session has determined there is that profession. Then, the child moves from "non communing" to "communing" member and can partake, subject also to the verbal fencing.


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## raekwon (Nov 27, 2009)

rrfranks said:


> What do you think, should participation in The Lord's Supper be tied to church membership? For example if you have a covenant child who has grown up in the church and has not become a communicant member of the church should they be allowed to take communion?



Doesn't "communicant member" mean "takes (or is eligible to take) communion"? Seems that you can't be one without the other, in some sense.


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## dudley (Nov 27, 2009)

*I agree with scott 100% on this one*

I agree completely with scott on this issue. 

In Faith,
Dudley



Scott1 said:


> Not tied to membership of that visible church, but tied to at least being in fellowship with an evangelical church (where the gospel is preached). So, a visitor who is say a member of a Baptist church could, after hearing the Lord's Table fenced, participate in communion at a Presbyterian one.
> 
> A child who has not yet been examined for a credible profession of faith would not be, unless and until session has determined there is that profession. Then, the child moves from "non communing" to "communing" member and can partake, subject also to the verbal fencing.


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## Edward (Nov 27, 2009)

In the PCA, at least, I don't see room for ambiguity on the question. If the person isn't a communicant member in good standing of an evangelical church, or has not been admitted to the table by the session, they should be excluded. It seems that the answer to your question is an easy 'no'. See BCO 58-4, which is binding authority.


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## NRB (Nov 27, 2009)

Before my wife and I joined our current PCA church we visited there for about 2 months.
We participated in Holy Communion because we were currently(at that time) members of an SBC church.
The session saw no problem with it.

Just my story.


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## Edward (Nov 27, 2009)

NRB said:


> Before my wife and I joined our current PCA church we visited there for about 2 months.
> We participated in Holy Communion because we were currently(at that time) members of an SBC church.
> The session saw no problem with it.
> 
> Just my story.when requested by the Secretary, or by any other authorized officer or employee of the Department of Commerce or bureau or agency thereof acting under the instructions of the Secretary or authorized officer,



In most PCA churches, that wouldn't be a problem. The question here, however, deals with a person who is not a communing member of ANY church.


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## rrfranks (Nov 30, 2009)

Thank you all for your comments. The reason I ask this question is that it appears that I am coming across more and more PCA people that think that children should be allowed to participate in Communion without becoming communicant members or hear of PCA churches that actually allow children to participate in the Lord's Supper even though these children are not communicant members. 

The reason for this view seems to be that the parents (& sometimes church officers) think that the child should participate in the Lord's Supper because the child has made a profession of faith. However, at the same time the parents do not think that the child is ready for church membership. Therefore, the parents do not encourage their children to be communicant members, but feel strongly that their children should partake of Communion. So children who are non-communicant members end up taking Communion.

I was just curious if my experiences were isolated incidents or whether we might be seeing a shift in the PCA away from what the BOCO currently states?


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## Osage Bluestem (Nov 30, 2009)

rrfranks said:


> Thank you all for your comments. The reason I ask this question is that it appears that I am coming across more and more PCA people that think that children should be allowed to participate in Communion without becoming communicant members or hear of PCA churches that actually allow children to participate in the Lord's Supper even though these children are not communicant members.
> 
> The reason for this view seems to be that the parents (& sometimes church officers) think that the child should participate in the Lord's Supper because the child has made a profession of faith. However, at the same time the parents do not think that the child is ready for church membership. Therefore, the parents do not encourage their children to be communicant members, but feel strongly that their children should partake of Communion. So children who are non-communicant members end up taking Communion.
> 
> I was just curious if my experiences were isolated incidents or whether we might be seeing a shift in the PCA away from what the BOCO currently states?



At our Church children must go through a communicants class before they can receive communion.


I was talking to some Baptist relatives of mine about this as well. They will not take communion in any Church other than the local Church they are a member of. They believe that communion should be closed to local membership only. I disagree and believe that communion is for any Christian who is a member of a Church that preaches the gospel.


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## rrfranks (Nov 30, 2009)

DD2009 said:


> rrfranks said:
> 
> 
> > I was talking to some Baptist relatives of mine about this as well. They will not take communion in any Church other than the local Church they are a member of. They believe that communion should be closed to local membership only. I disagree and believe that communion is for any Christian who is a member of a Church that preaches the gospel.
> ...


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## Joseph Scibbe (Nov 30, 2009)

The point of the Lords Supper is to identify us with the death of Christ. It is (even the presbyterians should agree with this) for believers only. I would allow a visitng member of another church to take communion with my church.


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## fredtgreco (Nov 30, 2009)

rrfranks said:


> Thank you all for your comments. The reason I ask this question is that it appears that I am coming across more and more PCA people that think that children should be allowed to participate in Communion without becoming communicant members or hear of PCA churches that actually allow children to participate in the Lord's Supper even though these children are not communicant members.
> 
> The reason for this view seems to be that the parents (& sometimes church officers) think that the child should participate in the Lord's Supper because the child has made a profession of faith. However, at the same time the parents do not think that the child is ready for church membership. Therefore, the parents do not encourage their children to be communicant members, but feel strongly that their children should partake of Communion. So children who are non-communicant members end up taking Communion.
> 
> I was just curious if my experiences were isolated incidents or whether we might be seeing a shift in the PCA away from what the BOCO currently states?



This is a result of the plague of paedocommunion rearing its head in our circles recently. It should be rejected as unbiblical, unconfessional, and unconstitutional in the PCA.


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## tcalbrecht (Nov 30, 2009)

rrfranks said:


> Thank you all for your comments. The reason I ask this question is that it appears that I am coming across more and more PCA people that think that children should be allowed to participate in Communion without becoming communicant members or hear of PCA churches that actually allow children to participate in the Lord's Supper even though these children are not communicant members.
> 
> The reason for this view seems to be that the parents (& sometimes church officers) think that the child should participate in the Lord's Supper because the child has made a profession of faith. *However, at the same time the parents do not think that the child is ready for church membership. *Therefore, the parents do not encourage their children to be communicant members, but feel strongly that their children should partake of Communion. So children who are non-communicant members end up taking Communion.
> 
> I was just curious if my experiences were isolated incidents or whether we might be seeing a shift in the PCA away from what the BOCO currently states?




If the children are baptized they are already recognized members of the church, albeit non-communing members. 

What you have described does not seem to match the situation with paedocommunion. You mention the child has already made a profession of faith. The question is, to whom did they make this profession? If it was to the Session, then their status should be chanmged from non-communing to communing member. If it was merely informal, then it should be formalized. 

This situation you have described was not my experience when I was in the PCA, but my former congregation did for a brief time have the curious status of "communicant non-member". This was to allow people who had no interest in joining the Church and coming under the oversight of the elders to come to the Lord's Table.


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## Edward (Nov 30, 2009)

rrfranks said:


> Thank you all for your comments. The reason I ask this question is that it appears that I am coming across more and more PCA people that think that children should be allowed to participate in Communion without becoming communicant members or hear of PCA churches that actually allow children to participate in the Lord's Supper even though these children are not communicant members.
> 
> The reason for this view seems to be that the parents (& sometimes church officers) think that the child should participate in the Lord's Supper because the child has made a profession of faith. However, at the same time the parents do not think that the child is ready for church membership. Therefore, the parents do not encourage their children to be communicant members, but feel strongly that their children should partake of Communion. So children who are non-communicant members end up taking Communion.
> 
> I was just curious if my experiences were isolated incidents or whether we might be seeing a shift in the PCA away from what the BOCO currently states?



I wish I could be surprised by this lack of discipline by the Sessions and Presbyteries, but unfortunately, I'm not. I'll just add it to this list of tolerance of deaconesses, tolerance of FV, and tolerance of modern pre-mil dispensationalism. While the committee on presbytery records and the SJC can still be counted on, and some presbyteries still practice discipline, the whole presbytery structure obviously needs an overhaul - starting with fewer, much larger, presbyteries.


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## reformedminister (Nov 30, 2009)




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## Glenn Ferrell (Dec 1, 2009)

tcalbrecht said:


> This situation you have described was not my experience when I was in the PCA, but my former congregation did for a brief time have the curious status of "communicant non-member". This was to allow people who had no interest in joining the Church and coming under the oversight of the elders to come to the Lord's Table.



As scripture requires us to be accountable to church rulers (Heb. 13:7, 17), to continue without accountability to elders or rulers of a particular church is sin. To allow those not so accountable to the officers of some particular church to receive communion is to encourage unrepentant sinners to receive. Thus, both the unrepentant communicant and permissive elders are disobedient and liable to God’s judgment. Church courts aware of such practice and which do not apply appropriate correction and discipline acquiesce in this sin.


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