What is United Methodist Membership?

Being a member means becoming as much a part of the church, the body of Christ, as our limbs are members of our own physical bodies. Just as our bodies are formed in the waters of the womb, so we become part of the body of Christ through the waters of baptism. For United Methodists, membership requires our active participation in a local congregation. When we become members, we profess our faith in God, our desire to live as disciples of Jesus Christ, and commit to join with our church community to keep the vows made at baptism.  The vows we make include promises to faithfully participate in the life and ministries of our local congregation through our prayers, presence, gifts, service and witness.

How Do I Become a Member?

Attend services regularly. 

We invite you to attend our services weekly on Sunday at 9 a.m. We also invite you to attend Sunday School and fellowship to really acquaint yourself with our congregation. Here, you can ask questions to members of our church and see if this is a right fit for you. 

Meet with our pastor.

First off, it's great to meet with our pastor so that you are able to connect on a more personal level throughout this journey. It's also great for our pastor to know your intent so that you can be assisted in finding a fit in our congregation. If you're meeting with Pastor, bring your family and any other people who would be joining you in your prospective membership. 

Ponder and pray about what it means to become a member. 

Membership isn't an easy feat. You're committing yourself to not only attending our church weekly along with activities, but supporting our church spiritually and financially, serving our church's mission not only in our area but for the global church, and now living in accordance with your membership vows as well as your Christian faith. We invite you to take some time to pray on what God is leading you towards and how to move forward. 

Decide on a level of membership. 

If you've prayed about it and pondered it with your family, it's time to decide what level of membership you'll be attaining. In the United Methodist tradition, there are 4 types of membership:

1. Full membership, for those who are seeking to join our church permanently
2. Affiliate membership, for those who are seeking to join our church temporarily while maintaining full membership at another United Methodist Church*
3. Associate membership, for those who are seeking to join our church temporarily while maintaining full membership at church of another Christian denomination* 
4. Preparatory membership, for baptized children under the age of 18 awaiting confirmation in the Methodist tradition. 

This decision should most likely be made with our Pastor, so it might be nice to schedule an additional meeting to discuss what this would look like. *For these membership levels, contact information of your other congregation will be needed.

Discuss baptism.

In order to join the UMC at any level of membership, you need to have been baptized within the Christian faith. Inform the pastor if you've already been baptized, since the UMC accepts baptisms performed by other Methodist congregations as well as other Christian denominations, as United Methodists do not re-baptize.
If you haven't been baptized, talk with our pastor on baptism during your membership ceremony. 
For more information on baptism, click here to be routed to our baptism page. 

Membership Request Form