Membership

Joining the New York Avenue Presbyterian Church

Showing your interest

There are several ways to show your interest in joining the New York Avenue Church. The first, and probably most immediate, is to fill out the Ritual of Friendship (or Membership) Pad at any worship service (being sure to offer your name, address and phone number) and check the box entitled "Looking for a Church Home". A member of the congregation will call you if you are a local visitor and you fill out the necessary information. A second way is to speak to one of the pastors or ushers or one of the members of the congregation. A third way is to call the church during the week and leave a message with Pastor Roger Gench ((202) 393-3702, x225), Pastor Tara Spuhler-McCabe ((202) 393-3702, x221), or, alternatively, Paul Dornan, Chair of the Membership Committee ((703) 971-9047).

Acting on your interest

Those who want to explore further the possibility of membership must attend one three-session series of New Members Classes. The series are held four times a year (seasonally), so there is never too great an interval between your first visit and an opportunity to join. Each series offers the opportunity for a class of prospective members to share their faith stories so far, to learn something of the Reformed Tradition, the corner of Christendom in which the Presbyterians are located, and how that tradition works itself out in the life and witness of the New York Avenue congregation, and to consider various ways in which we might practice our faith in our everyday lives.

At the last of these sessions, you will be asked whether you intend to join the New York Avenue congregation. Those who decide to join our faith community must attend a meeting of the New York Avenue Session, the governing body of the church. The New York Avenue Session meets the evening of the 2nd Tuesday of every month. Prospective members will be introduced, and both the incoming class and Session members are posed a question that each one is expected to answer. Reverend Gench then asks the newly elected members two questions very like the following: "Do you believe that Jesus Christ is the very way of God, the way of God's righteousness and truth?" and "Do you intend to live out your faith in the life and ministry of the New York Avenue congregation?" The Session then votes to welcome the class into membership.

At a Sunday service soon thereafter, the new class is formally introduced to the congregation.

Ways of joining

There are three ways of joining the New York Avenue Presbyterian Church, by Letter of Transfer, Reaffirmation of Faith or Profession of Faith. Members in good standing of any Christian church may join the New York Avenue congregation by Letter of Transfer. You simply indicate your intention to become a member of this church, give us the name and address of the church from which you are transferring and we will actually request the transfer. If you have previously been confirmed and been a member of another church but it has been a number of years and you think it unlikely that you remain on its rolls, you may join by Reaffirmation of Faith.If you have never joined a congregation by confirmation, then you should join ours by Profession of Faith.If you have not yet been baptized, either as a child or an adult, then you should receive the Sacrament of Baptism before you are asked to profess your faith.

Types of membership

There are two types of New York Avenue membership, full and affiliate. A full member wants to live out his or her life of congregational worship and service entirely within the New York Avenue congregation. An affiliate member, on the other hand, intends to worship and participate in the life of the New York Avenue Church, but also wants to maintain membership in a home church. For example, a student who is attending college in Washington may want to join New York Avenue as an affiliate member for his or her college years yet return to a home church thereafter.

Expectations of members

The Mission Statement is probably the best current statement of who and where we are as a congregation. If that statement draws you in, then it conveys something of what will be expected of you as a member of the New York Avenue congregation.