Does membership make better disciples?
 

Baptist minister Dave Criddle introduces a research project exploring how discipleship culture is—or is not—helped by how we do membership 

 
The curiosity started for me when, in 2018, I heard two Baptist ministers answer the same question in opposite ways. Both were leading large churches and seeing baptisms, growth, and lots of the things most of us desire.
 
The question: “But what are you doing about membership?”
 
Answer 1: “Membership is everything. It is how we disciple people. All our membership processes are geared towards that one goal: discipleship.”
 
Answer 2: “We’re not that focused on membership. We have members, but it’s not a big emphasis because we’re more focused on discipling people.”
 
So… which is it? Or is it both? Or neither? Or all of it all at once?
 
That curiosity has stuck with me. Discipleship matters, we’d all say that. As Baptists, it is baked into our Declaration of Principle. We believe in the priesthood of all believers, that everyone gets to play in God’s Kingdom.
 
But do our systems and structures believe that? Does the way we go about membership in our churches believe that?
 
Those are the questions I’m currently exploring through some doctoral research based out of Asbury Seminary in Kentucky, USA. I’m part of a UK cohort, including a good number of Baptists, and my dissertation project is all about how discipleship culture is—or is not—helped by how we do membership. Deep down, I believe it can be, and at its best should be. But I also have a niggle that says we don’t always get that right. So I’m looking into it, and I hope the findings prove useful to many of us once I am done.
 
I’ve been digging deep into writing about all things discipleship and membership. I’ve explored them biblically, theologically, sociologically, and by looking into our Baptist history. It’s been fascinating to do! But I also need help. To research the actual picture across Baptists Together, I have a survey that I would like your church—along with as many as possible—to be represented in.
 
Do you have 20 minutes to help me with that? You can find it here: form.jotform.com/davecriddle/church-leader-survey (it will be open until the end of September 2026).
 
I want answers from small, medium and large churches. From all associations. From those that are growing and those that aren’t. From those who feel their approach to membership is innovative, and those more standard. I want to hear it all!

Please do consider taking the time, or sending on to your church leader to do so. I pray God uses this research to help shape structures that even better reflect our convictions, and that will see many mature disciples of Jesus made, for the benefit of the world!

 

Dave Criddle is a Baptist minister who is part of the team at The Well, Sheffield. He’s married to Natalie and they have two little boys called Jed and Hugo