church membern.
/tʃəːtʃ ˈmɛmbə/, U.S. /ˌtʃərtʃ ˈmɛmbər/ A member of the Christian community, or of a particular Christian denomination or congregation; a person who belongs to a church.
ΘΚΠ
society > faith > aspects of faith > religion > a religion or church > [noun] > membership in > person having
brotherOE
sisterOE
church memberc1475
churchman1612
religionist1651
churchwoman1681
Zioner1681
churchite1791
bredren1809
co-religionist1842
co-religionary1861
triumphalist1967
c1475 Magnificencia Ecclesie in Publ. Mod. Lang. Assoc. Amer. (1909) 24 697 (MED) Þe churche membres shuld be oon in feyþe & charyte.
1653 R. Baxter Christian Concord 37 Though we offer Christ and Church-membership with him, to all, yet we do not admit all to be Church-members.
1689 E. Hickeringill Ceremony-monger in Wks. (1716) II. 468 The Presbyters or (in default) any Church Member.
1705 Vindic. Apostles 10 No one counts 'em Schismatical Assemblies, because they are made up of Church Members.
1741 W. Wilson Contin. Def. Reform. Princ. Ch. Scotl. 87 The bare Say of Ministers..does not bind the Consciences of Church-members.
1845 S. Judd Margaret i. xiii. 95 I was informed you countenanced mixed dancing; that you told Bethia Weeks, a church-member, there was no harm in it.
1881 Cent. Mag. Dec. 312/2 He was a pure-minded, conscientious, and useful church-member.
1912 I. S. Cobb Back Home 44 Strict church members..wouldn't let their children..go to any parties except play parties.
1969 R. D. Pharr Bk. of Numbers (1970) ii. 28 Once somebody in the Ward hit for a few hundred dollars the church members would beat a path to their door.
1991 Canada Lutheran Nov. 4/1 If the allegiance of church members is solely to the institution, then the work of the Holy Spirit is impeded.
This entry has been updated (OED Third Edition, September 2011; most recently modified version published online March 2022).
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n.c1475