BECOMING A MEMBER

Members of Park Street take part in the government of the church through voting on church budgets and electing church officers, nominating committee members and elders. Membership is requisite to serving the church as a deacon, elder or officer.

Membership Requirements

Each person applying to become a member of Park Street Church should:

  • Profess faith in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior, subscribe to the personal confession of faith and commit to the church’s covenant of faith and government, adopted by this church on April 27, 1877, restated and readopted on June 26, 1916
  • Complete a New Members Class 
  • Have been, or be baptized
  • Give a personal testimony during their New Members Class

New Members Class

Our next New Members class will be offered on Sunday afternoons this winter. Lunch and childcare will be provided. If you are interested in attending, learn more and register below.

Membership FAQs

Why does Park Street Church have membership if it is not called for in the Bible?

On the one hand there is nothing biblical about membership, but on the other hand there is everything biblical about it. It is true that “church membership” is not directly addressed in the Bible, but in the Bible we read, “so in Christ we who are many form one body, and each member belongs to all the others (Romans 12:5)”. In the early church, it was through the Lord’s Supper that people expressed their commitment to one another and to the Lord. In theory, it is no different today: every time we take the Lord’s Supper together, we are declaring ourselves to be members of one another and of this church body. In reality, most of us do not tend to think in these terms. So, the modern invention of membership is a formal way to express our commitment to the body of Christ. By becoming a member of a church, we declare publicly our commitment to one another and place ourselves under the care and discipline of the church.

Why should I become a member of Park Street Church?

There are many benefits to becoming a church member. First, in placing yourself under the care of the church you will be put on the “radar screen.” Park Street Church is working toward ensuring that every member of our community is shepherded well, and this begins with our members. Second, in placing yourself under the discipline of the church, you will experience mutual relationships of accountability with others in this church body, putting yourself in a better position for growth in community. Third, members play a vital role in the government of the church through voting on church budgets and through electing church officers, nominating committee members and elders. Membership is also a requisite to serving the church as a deacon, elder or officer.

Should I become a member if I will only be in Boston for a short time?

Absolutely! If you consider Park Street Church to be your home while you are in Boston and share the Lord’s Supper with your brothers and sisters in Christ here on a continual basis, then you should publicly formalize the commitment you have already made by becoming a church member. Even if you plan to live in the Boston area for only a short time, it will be to your benefit (and ours!) for you to become a member. You will experience an increase in care and connection from your interaction with other participants in a new members class as well as the ministerial staff member involved. You will have a greater sense of participation in the vision of the church, and you will take part in making decisions at the annual meeting that will affect the church’s ministry.

Can I become a member at Park Street Church if I want to retain my membership at a different church?

Many students and seminarians plan to return to their home churches and want to retain their membership there, but also desire to commit themselves to the church where they worship while students. For this reason, we make affiliate membership available. All the requirements and benefits of full membership apply to affiliate membership, but affiliate members do not transfer membership from their home churches.