“Closed” Contribution “Closed communion” is a practice where non-members of a religious group are excluded from taking the Lord’s Supper. That custom is still found in some circles. Similarly, a question arises about forbidding non-members to contribute on the first day of the week. We make it clear at the time when the collection is taken in our assemblies that we do not solicit funds from non-members. Our work is supported by a "free-will" offering of the members just as 1 Corinthians 16:1-2 instructs. Paul, there, addressed Christians and admonished them to “lay by in store on the first day of the week as God hath prospered you…” There is no passage in the New Testament that authorizes congregations to solicit funds from non-members nor to involve the congregation in moneymaking projects to raise revenue for the Lord’s work. Although there is no command addressed to non-members to give as they have been prospered, it becomes another matter altogether if we should determine that we are gong to “police” the giving and forbid any non-members to contribute. In the same way, we teach that Christians are to “break bread” (Lord’s Supper) but we do not practice “closed” communion whereby we “check out” everyone who might come into our assemblies and make sure that they are Christians before offering them the opportunity to take communion. Again, neither are non-members commanded to sing or pray in worship to the Lord – only Christians are so commanded; however, we do not forbid non-members to sing or pray. What non-members do in our assemblies is incidental to their being there. Our intent is to teach them the word by which they can be saved. What they do while in our assemblies is not a matter of authority or lack of authority – it is simply a consequence of their being in the place where we worship. We hope to impress them with God-directed worship and reverence for what He commands so that they will want to have fellowship with Him and with His people. How they respond to God’s teaching is a matter for which they must give an account. The thought of our forbidding them to take part in our worship would be, first of all, insulting to them and, second of all, totally impractical. – Jim R. Everett

	Created on Febuary 16, 2003		Page last updated