Sometimes questions arise as to whether it is scripturally necessary, or even scripturally permissible, to “place membership” with a congregation. A modern brother or sister may raise the objection, “I’m a member of the church of Christ, and that’s good enough for me.” What this person means is, “I am a member of the universal church of Christ, but I have no interest in serving in a local congregation.” Others seem to believe that placing membership is a denominational concept, rather than a scriptural concept. However, the term simply means to identify oneself with a local congregation with which he was not previously identified. This is done when a Christian has to leave his former congregation, either due to moving or similar circumstances, or due to doctrinal or practical error that has overtaken one’s former congregation. Please consider a few reasons why it is both scripturally permissible and scripturally necessary to place membership with a faithful church of Christ after leaving another. (1) In the New Testament, each first-century Christian is understood to be a member of a particular congregation. The New Testament does speak of the universal church of Christ, into which the Lord adds the saved when they are baptized (Matthew 16:18; Acts 2:47; Ephesians 5:23). However, far and away the New Testament most often uses “church” to refer to the local congregation (Acts 14:27; 20:17; Romans 16:1, 23a). Paul wrote “to the saints which are at Ephesus” (Ephesians 1:1). Here it is expressed that he wrote to “saints”