Covenant Presbyterian Church of Fort Smith believes that church membership is a vitally important expression of a believer’s love and loyalty to the Lord Jesus Christ and to the Body of Christ.

“For as in one body we have many members, and the members do not all have the same function, so we, though many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another.” (Romans 12:4–5)

Why Church Membership?

Scripture teaches that Christians are members of Christ’s body, his Church (1 Corinthians 12:12; Ephesians 3:6), joined inseparably through faith in him. For this reason, membership matters in the local church, as we live out our faith not in individual isolation but with “one another” (Colossians 3:13), gathering in assembled worship (Acts 20:7-12), serving as gifted in ministry together (Acts 4:32-37, 6:1-7), mobilizing missions to the nations (Acts 13:1-3), and shepherded under the care of elders (Acts 14:23).

How do I become a member?

Start by watching our Membership Matters videos (shared below and on YouTube), then contact the church office to schedule your membership interview (479-242-PRES or info@cpcfs.org). A few of our elders will conduct the interview, during which you will share your profession of faith, agree to our membership vows (listed below), discuss your church background (if applicable), and discuss possible areas of service in the church.


Membership Vows

New communing members will make a public profession of faith and assent to the following five declarations and promises, entering into a solemn covenant with God and his Church.
  1. Do you acknowledge yourselves to be sinners in the sight of God, justly deserving His displeasure, and without hope save in His sovereign mercy?
  2. Do you believe in the Lord Jesus Christ as the Son of God, and Savior of sinners, and do you receive and rest upon Him alone for salvation as He is offered in the Gospel?
  3. Do you now resolve and promise, in humble reliance upon the grace of the Holy Spirit, that you will endeavor to live as becomes the followers of Christ?
  4. Do you promise to support the Church in its worship and work to the best of your ability?
  5. Do you submit yourselves to the government and discipline of the Church, and promise to study its purity and peace?

Membership Matters, Part 1: Why Does Membership Matter?

Dr. John Clayton, Senior Minister at Covenant Presbyterian Church, begins a six-week lecture series on church membership and Presbyterian beliefs and practices by taking a look at the decline of emphasis on church membership and why it is both biblical and still vitally important for our Christian life today.


Membership Matters, Part 2: The Sovereignty of God

In this session, Dr. John Clayton takes a look at the doctrine of the sovereignty of God. This foundational doctrine of Reformed theology is one that is often misunderstood and misrepresented, so we begin first with looking at God's sovereignty in creation, then in the scope of human history and events, and finally in the redemption of his people.


Membership Matters, Part 3: Reformed Worship

In this third session, Dr. John Clayton walks through every aspect of our worship service, showing how it is Scripturally saturated, theologically intentional, and designed for the congregation to actively glorify God as a corporate body. Whether you've ever been to or watched a service of ours or not, this will be a great guide to how we worship at Covenant Presbyterian Church.


Membership Matters, Part 4: The Sacraments

In this session, Dr. John Clayton walks through the two sacraments observed by the church: baptism and The Lord's Supper. We look at both the precedence and the significance of both as they are instituted, set, and revealed in Scripture, as well as how both have been understood (both rightly and wrongly) throughout church history.


Membership Matters, Part 5: Church Government

In the fifth session of Membership Matters, Dr. John Clayton walks through the Presbyterian form of church government. He discusses its authority, structure, discipline, and practice, looking at each from a biblical perspective, while also comparing it to other forms of church government throughout Christianity. This is another aspect of Presbyterianism that can be easily misunderstood or misrepresented, so this session will be beneficial in learning more about the church from a leadership and structural position.


Membership Matters, Part 6: Church History

In the final session of Membership Matters, Dr. John Clayton walks through a "jet tour" of Church history, focusing especially on the Reformation, the Presbyterian Church in the United States (PCUSA), the formation of the PCA, and a brief history of Covenant Presbyterian Church.