"Floaters"
In most metropolitan areas where a number of congregations are located in close proximity there is always the problem of the "floater", A "floater" is one who refuses to align himself with any particular congregation but chooses to 'float' and flit' to and fro among various congregations. He is free from all responsibilities as a church worker and goes on his merry way doing little if anything for the Lord's Cause. If one preacher gets a little too firm or too strict in his preaching, the 'floater' drifts over to another congregation and tries out that preacher for awhile. The 'floater' does not consider himself under any eldership, therefore, will not take reproof, rebuke or correction from anyone except just what be happens to absorb from various pulpits. The 'floater' does not go to one church long enough to get acquainted with the brethren so that he might help bear one another's burden, but rather gets all the gossip and scandal he can at one place then spreads it to nearby congregations. The 'floater' has an easy time of it but the sad fact is that he doesn't do himself very much good and does less good for the church.
It is commonly reported that in one large mid-western city there are at least one thousand 'floaters' floating from one congregation to another and none of them actually working for the Lord. Certainly all 'regular' members are not working as they should but it is more conducive to activity than being a 'floater'. This situation exists in many cities over the brotherhood.
Every member of the church needs to be aligned with some congregation. He should help shoulder responsibilities; he should sit under and encourage sound Gospel preaching; he should have elders over him so that they might instruct and lead in the right paths; he should know his brethren that he might bear their burdens. In short, he should settle down and get to work; it would do him good as well as the church.
Each member, upon moving into a community, should make himself known. It doesn't matter whether he goes forward to 'place membership' (that expression is misleading) or just tells the elders or ministers privately, but he should let it be known in some way that he is one of them and wants to be put to work.
May the Lord help each one of us to bear our responsibilities in the church.
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(Note: Until we have some floating "elders" there will not be any place in the church for floating members such as brother Mansur describes here. Christians are told to be subject to the elders. Until elders extend their jurisdiction beyond the local congregation, I fail to see how Christians can be under some elders without belonging to some congregation. A good article and timely. LB.)