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"We, the members of the
THE SOVEREIGN
GRACE BIBLE
CHURCH OF
CEBU, INC.,
a non-profit organization, do ordain and establish the following
articles, to which we voluntarily submit ourselves."
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SECTION 5.
THE DUTIES OF MEMBERSHIP
Paragraph A. Attendance at Stated Meetings.
All regular members are required to attend all the stated meetings of the
church unless providentially hindered by illness, accident, unusual working conditions
which does not violate the Sabbath, and other such circumstances. The stated meetings
of the church are all services on the Lord’s Day (the Sunday school or Bible class, morning
and evening worship, and the Lord’s Supper), the midweek prayer meeting, the business
meetings of the congregation, and any special meeting which the elders shall occasionally
deem necessary to call (Acts 2:42; Heb. 10:24,25).
Paragraph B. Financial Support.
Since it is clearly taught in the scriptures that Christians should support
financially the work of the Lord by systematic and proportionate giving made through the
local church (Mat 3:8-10; 1Cor.16:1&2; 2Cor. 8&9), all the members of this church are expected
to conform to this rule of scripture. The tithe (giving 10% of the gross income) is strongly
urged upon each member as an expression of worship and the biblical norm for basic giving,
to which should be added gifts and offerings according to one’s ability and the willingness
of his heart (2 Cor. 8:1-5; Exo. 36:2- 7).
Paragraph C. Promotion of Edification and Peace.
In as much as the church is represented in scripture as a body having many
members, each of the members having its particular function and yet having a concern for
the health and protection of the whole (1Cor. 12:12-27; Eph. 4:4-16), this church expects
that each member will strive for the good of the entire body. The members must actively seek to
cultivate acquaintance with one another and maintain mutual transparency and honesty so
that they may be better able to pray for one another; love, comfort, and encourage one
another; and help one another materially as necessarily may require (Eph. 4:25; Gal.
6:10; 1Jn. 3:16-18). In addition, members must discreetly confess their sins to one another
(Jas. 5:16), faithfully admonish and encourage one another (Mat. 18:15f; 1Thess. 5:14; Heb.
3:12,13; 10:24,25), refrain from all backbiting and gossip (Ps. 15:3; Prov. 16:28; 26:20-22),
and keep in strict confidence all matters which the elders determine are of private concern to
the church (Prov. 11:13).
Paragraph D. Support of and Submission to the Leadership.
All who come into the membership of this church are expected to support
and submit to the overseers of the church. Supporting God’s servants necessitates praying for
them and their labors (Eph. 6:18,19); cultivating personal acquaintance with them, loving them,
and esteeming them highly for their work’s sake (1Thess. 5:12,13); standing by them and not
forsaking them in their afflictions and in all their good causes (2Tim. 1:15); and defending
rather than prejudicing or damaging their good name (Acts 23:5; 1Tim.5:19). Submitting to God’s servants necessitates imitating their Christian graces,
faith, and godly principles as they also imitate Christ (1Cor. 11:1; Heb. 13:7; 1Pet. 5:3);
receiving their teaching with all readiness of mind and teachableness of spirit, yet with
ultimate allegiance to the Word of God (Acts 17:11; Jas. 1:19-21; 1Thess. 2:13); humbly
heeding their scriptural rebukes and warnings as from those appointed to watch for the
souls of the sheep and committed to labor to present them complete and mature in Christ
(Heb. 13:17; Col. 1:28); seeking and carefully considering their counsel as from those
counted faithful by the Lord (1Cor. 7:1,25); and cheerfully embracing and abiding by their
decisions regarding corporate policy in God’s House, which is His church (1Tim. 3:5; Heb.
13:17), without gainsaying and murmuring even when personally differing with their
judgement (Rom. 10:21; 1Cor. 10:10; Phil. 2:14; Jude 11).
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