<> Ask the Pastor The Rev. Father Walter Snyder Q: I am discussing with one of our pastoral staff the purging of inactive members members that have moved and not filed for transfer, who have moved and not notified the church of their new address, or members who simply have not entered the doors of our church in two or more years (some as long ago as 13 years!). An estimation of how many would fall into these criteria is anywhere from one-third to one-half of our members. What is a scriptural (and Lutheran) position to take regarding the clearing of inactive members from our roles? A: I am not fond of "purges," be they political or religious in nature. Some would treat this solely as a congregational issue, others as something for the church at large to deal with. It is an issue that has impact beyond the walls of the church building. I know that many pastors, congregations, boards of elders, or some such will regularly delete names from the roles. Sometimes a letter is sent, sometimes not. Holy Scripture tells us constantly that we are to be involved in corporate worship in the congregation. Nothing on earth can replace that. Likewise, the Bible firmly states that flagrant sinners and errorists are to be "removed" and "avoided." In the case of gross delinquency, they have already removed themselves and are avoiding their church. However, to merely drop them is a copout, and contrary to the care of souls entrusted to the pastor. Thus, I recommend that a firmly, yet lovingly worded letter be sent by the pastor, informing the delinquent members of the seriousness of their continued absence from the assembly. It should warn them that they have already excluded themselves, and that such exclusion will be formally recognized by pastor and congregation if they do not return. A limited time for response should be set. Perhaps a response envelope or postcard can be included with the letter. Of course, there may be "compelling reasons" to keep certain people as members--some are in the middle of grave spiritual and personal struggles, and may be embarrassed to appear among those who know them well. In such instances, the pastor will most likely be involved already. A similar dilemma faces the congregation where people move away but don't transfer their membership. They want to keep the old home ties and fail to recognize that the care of their souls is better done by a minister who is geographically much closer. (Of course, we make allowances for college students and others who will, most likely, be returning.) In such cases, send a letter urging that those who've moved establish membership in a local congregation that preaches and teaches the Word purely and truly. In most liturgical churches, this is best done by letter of transfer. Again, while compelling reasons (such as lack of a right- teaching local congregation) might move you to keep some few members on the roles, most should be warned that their move has excluded them from the local assembly. Let them know that while you'll gladly welcome them upon their return, as long as they are elsewhere, they should be fully part of a congregation in that area. They need to be under the care of someone who can get to know them, who is close enough to make hospital visits, and the like. All of this is fairly general. Each pastor and congregation should determine what is best for their individual cases. However, I do urge again that more be done than merely dragging a black line across their names in the congregational roster. There may be some local delinquents who will respond and return to the place where they once had a home. Others will choose to harden their hearts. Perhaps you can then begin evangelization. Similarly, those who have moved will usually accept pastoral prodding to transfer. If they don't, then more needs to be done. Finally, and very importantly, the pastor needs the support of his congregation when he is involved in such things. Family ties and hurt feelings can be involved, and often no one is fully aware of the dynamics until after something has been started. Thus, the pastor should proceed firmly but gently, and his church should be prepared to back him totally. Remember to "Ask the Pastor" at P.O. Box 1080, Jasper, Texas, 75951; E-mail xrysostom@aol.com; or catch me around town. Pastor Snyder serves St. Paul and Faith Lutheran Churches, Jasper and Woodville, Texas, and is the coauthor of "What Do Lutherans Believe? A Study Guide in Christian Teachings for Adults." Copyright (c) 1997 by Walter P. Snyder Permission is granted by author to reproduce or retransmit this by any means, provided that its content is not altered, that this notice of copyright and permission is included, and that no financial gain is realized.