Becoming A Member

We are delighted that you have been worshiping with us at Second Presbyterian Church and are interested in becoming a member. The first step is to attend our membership class called Inquirers.

Inquirers is designed to answer your questions about the Christian faith, introduce you to Second and our ministries, and inform you as to avenues of service within the church and the greater Memphis community. Should you choose to pursue membership upon completion of the class, you will be asked to stand for vows either during a Sunday morning worship service or a Sunday evening worship service. The Session of Second Presbyterian has determined that the following steps shall be taken for membership:

• Attend Inquirers

• Complete a Membership Application form

• Participate in an elder interview

• Stand for public affirmation of membership vows.

Inquirers

Inquirers is held three times a year (February, June, and October) and involves three teaching sessions along with a Q&A session with Sandy Willson. You may also register for an optional lunch and facilities tour which follows the Saturday teaching session. For those pursuing membership, you will need to attend a final elder interview and dinner held during a regular officers’ meeting. Childcare is available for all sessions for children 5 and under. You are not obligated to join Second upon completion of the class; however, the class is required for church membership. For more information, contact the Inquirers Office at 454-0034, ext. 172 or email .

Membership Application

The application is available in the Inquirers manual and should be returned to the Inquirers Class Office upon completion of the class. No steps are taken to notify your former church or to schedule an elder interview until this application has been submitted.

Elder Interview

The Elder Dinner and Interview is a wonderful two-fold opportunity for you, should you decide to pursue membership. First, you will enjoy warm fellowship with the officers of the church over a catered dinner in the Fellowship Hall. Secondly, each inquirer will have a casual time of conversation with an elder/deacon pairing, where you will have the opportunity to share what God is doing in your life. For women, there is an option for an elder/shepherdess pairing. This pair is also available to answer any lingering questions and help guide and mentor you as you weave into the fabric of Second.

After this portion of the class, your home church is contacted, should you have one.

Public Vows

Each class has two scheduled opportunities for you to stand before the congregation and assume your membership vows. The preferred date is on a Sunday morning at the 11:00am service, however to accommodate your schedule, a Sunday evening opportunity at 6:00pm is offered as well.

Even though a person attends Inquirers and has been interviewed by our elders, he/she is not considered a member of Second until the membership vows have been affirmed publicly.