Commitment to His Body
Find out more in the Discovery Class
We are a body of believers united by our desire to follow Jesus Christ and to seek His purpose for our lives.
If you desire to join with us and will be supportive of the beliefs, fellowship, and mission of our church, we warmly invite you to become a member.
There are 3 ways to become a member of Union Baptist Church:
1. By PROFESSION OF FAITH
If you will receive Jesus Christ as your personal Savior and Lord and follow Him in baptism by immersion, we will welcome you into our fellowship.
2. By TRANSFER OF MEMBERSHIP FROM ANOTHER BAPTIST CHURCH
As a Baptist whose membership is elsewhere, we welcome you here if God so directs you. We will take care of the appropriate details for the transfer of your membership. You need only to present yourself for membership.
3. By STATEMENT OF FAITH
If you know in your heart that you have a saving relationship with God through Jesus Christ and desire to be a member of Union Baptist Church, we will be happy to receive you. If the records from your previous church are unavailable, we will accept you on a statement of your faith. If you have not been baptized by immersion, we will be happy to set up a time for that.
The Invitation Time of our Worship Service is the time to present yourself in any of these ways for membership.
The UBC Membership Commitment
1. “Having received Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior, having been Scripturally baptized, and being in agreement with the statements and structure of Union Baptist Church of Knoxville, I now feel led by the Holy Spirit to unite with the Union Baptist Church family. In so doing, I commit myself to God and to other church family members to do the following:
· I WILL PROTECT THE UNITY OF MY CHURCH.
a. By acting in love toward other members.
- “Let us therefore make every effort to do what leads to peace and to mutual edification.” Romans 14:19
- “May the God who gives endurance and encouragement give you a spirit of unity among yourselves as you follow Christ Jesus...” Romans 14:5
- “...love one another deeply from the heart.” 1 Peter 1:22
b. By refusing to gossip.
- “Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs...” Ephesians 4:29
c. By following my leadership.
- “Obey your leaders and submit to their authority. They keep watch over you as men who must give an account. Obey them so that their work will be a joy, not a burden, for that would be no advantage to you.” Hebrews 13:17
· I WILL SHARE THE RESPONSIBILITY IN MY CHURCH.
a. By praying for its health and growth.
- “We always thank God for all of you, mentioning you in our prayers. We continually remember (you)...” 1 Thessalonians 1:2
b. By inviting unchurched people I know to attend.
- “Go out to the roads and country lanes and make them come in, so that my house may be full.” Luke 14:23
c. By warmly welcoming those who visit.
- “Accept one another, then, just as Christ accepted you, in order to praise to God.” Romans 15:7
· I WILL SERVE THE MINISTRY OF MY CHURCH.
a. By discovering my gifts and talents.
- “...in Christ we who are many form one body, and each member belongs to all the others. We have different gifts, according to the grace given us.” Romans 12:5-6
b. By using those gifts and talents to serve Christ and others.
- “Each one should use whatever gift he has received to serve others, faithfully administering God’s grace in its various forms.” 1 Peter 4:10
- “Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good.” 1 Corinthians 12:7
c. By developing a servant’s heart.
- “Each of you should look out not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others. Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus: Who...made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant...” Philippians 2:4-5,7
· I WILL SUPPORT THE TESTIMONY OF MY CHURCH.
a. By attending services and activities faithfully.
- “Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another--and all the more as you see the day approaching.” Hebrews 10:25
b. By living a Christ-like, godly life.
- “...live a life worthy of the calling you have received.” Ephesians 4:1
- “Whatever happens, conduct yourselves in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ.” Philippians 1:27
c. By supporting my church financially.
- “A tithe of everything....belongs to the Lord; it is holy to the Lord.” Leviticus 27:30
- “‘Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. Test me in this,’ says the Lord, ‘and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that you will not have room enough for it.’” Malachi 3:10
- “But just as you excel in everything...see that you also excel in this grace of giving.” 2 Corinthians 8:7