Membership
When we are baptized we become members of the Body of Christ. We are joined with all other Christians in that fellowship. When we become members of a local church we are saying that we are a part of that particular part of God’s family and we agree to participate in its ministry through our time, our talents, and our treasure.
Categories of Membership
The categories and criteria of membership have come down to us from the rubrics of the Book of Common Prayer, general Anglican canon law, and immemorial custom. From a legal standpoint, these membership criteria also define who are “members of the corporation” entitled to vote in our nonprofit corporation under the California Corporations Code.
Anglican parish polity recognizes three groups of members: baptized members, communicant members, and voting members.
Baptized members are those individuals who have been baptized at St. Luke’s, or who have produced evidence that they have been baptized with water in the Name of the Trinity and have asked our Rector to record them on the Parish Register as a baptized member of the church. Baptized members may be adults or even infants.
Communicant members are those individuals who are baptized members of St. Luke’s and who have been admitted to Holy Communion. It is our Rector and his assistant priests who, as stewards of the Sacrament (I Cor. 4:1), admit persons to Holy Communion, and so it can happen in a number of ways. Typically, baptized members are admitted to Holy Communion after Confirmation, completion of a First Communion class, or after expressing a desire to receive and discussing the matter with one of our priests.
Voting members (sometimes called “Electors”) are baptized members of the Parish who are: (1) at least sixteen; (2) actively attending worship services at St. Luke’s; (3) registered as a baptized member in our Parish Register for the last sixty days; (4) a regular financial contributor of record; and (5) approved by the Rector. The voting members of the Parish are the “members of the corporation” entitled to vote for our board of directors (Vestry) and at our annual and special meetings.
If you would like to become a member of St. Luke’s Anglican Church, you will need to contact the parish office at 818-249-5100 to fill out the application and sign up for a membership class.
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