Membership At St. Barts
Membership is easy. It's also hard.
We're not a club. That means it's easy. Membership means responsibility. Which isn't.
We're not tough. Come to church a few times. Make a couple friends. Have a conversation with the priest. Chances are there are people who've been where you are, and had the same questions. But you don't need to be a committed member to participate. You can always engage peripherally.
We have four "modes" of membership.
*Episcopal member - you're a baptized, confirmed or received Episcopalian. You have pledge envelopes. These people can preside in the church, serve on the vestry (aka the board of directors, the gang of 6, the junta, the elders) and can participate at a diocesan (that's inter-church) level.
*Christian member - Christians who have not been received into the Episcopal Church but are baptized Christians (this includes Catholics and Orthodox churches). You've got your name in our book as a member, but you have been baptized or confirmed elsewhere. You can still vote for vestry members or become a vestry member.
*Christian Friend - Baptized Christian, but you're too lazy to give us your baptismal records. We'll still give you pledge cards.
*Friends - non-Christians, who participate in some church activities. You can be, for example, a skeptic, Jew, or Pagan, or all three. You dig the Rector's sermons or find church an easy place to work for justice. You give part of your year-end bonus to the soup kitchen or our after school program because we do a good job.
Here's what you should do.
If you are already an Episcopalian: give the parish secretary the name of the church you were baptized or confirmed in and we’ll transfer membership. You can even email her your information and we'll take care of it. Presto! A member of St. Barts.
If you are baptized in the Lutheran, Catholic or Orthodox tradition, tell us the name and place of the church you were baptized in and the year and we’ll transfer membership. Presto! A member of St. Barts.
If you are baptized in any other Christian Tradition. Just tell us you’d like to become a member and we’ll put you in the book. Give us the date of your baptism and fill out a form. You'll be under "baptized members." Presto! A member of St. Barts.
If you are NOT baptized, you can become a friend and still participate in all church activities. Just fill out a membership form (we can email one to you) and check the appropriate boxes. If you want to become baptized, just talk to the rector. The rector will still invite you to parties and ask you for money so you won't feel left out.
During this process you may:
• Meet with the rector over a cup of tea or a martini; He'll buy the first drink, unless he forgets his wallet.
• Take one orientation discussion, offered three or more times a year;
• Come to a house dinner or cocktail party, offered twice a year;
• Introduce yourself when we welcome new members during the service;
• Get on the email list for announcements; It's not spam.
• Find one small group you'd like to participate in;
• Get pledge envelopes for your family.
We encourage baptized Episcopalians to reaffirm their baptismal vows at some point after becoming a member of St. Bartholomew’s Church. This is to keep people aware of new ways theologians and scholars are talking about the Christian faith. We offer one five hour class or three two hour classes before an Episcopal Visitation.
We encourage members of other mainline denominations to become confirmed or received into the Episcopal Church. A class will include central questions of Christianity, a basic introduction to church history and to the polity of our denomination. This will consist of one five hour or three two hour classes.
Wardens are canonically required to be confirmed or received in the Episcopal Church.
Orientation classes are scheduled for February and May and September.
Baptism and Confirmation Classes are scheduled for January, March, May and October.
You will get:
• A gift for as a symbol of our welcome;
• Envelopes for your commitment;
• A subscription to Episcopal Life and the Episcopal New Yorker.
Members in Good Standing at St. Bartholomew’s Church must
• Worship 3x a year (preferably during Holy Week); but we still love to see the family weekly!
• Fill out an information and a pledgingform.
• Invite the rector over for dinner or a drink once every three years. This is to keep the level of cooking in the parish high.
Now that you've decided you want to join fill out this form!!
So there you go! Membership at St. Barts. Not hard. But if you are still a bit wary about religion, Christians or Episcopalians, just hang out for a couple years. We'll still be here for you. Go well and return often!
Blessings, etc.