It is a very valid issue to address a church’s ability to define who its members are and what they believe. Baker defines three types of churches that are often encountered in the world today: bounded churches (where clear, static boundary lines define a uniform set excluded through that line from the rest), fuzzy churches (where the offence and intimidation of the boundary line is removed in an effort to maximise inclusivity), and centered churches (where the focus is not on defining a uniform set of characteristics to which a group adheres but rather a center focus towards which all the members of the group are moving).
My church and the South African church in general often falls into the bounded category. There are clear lines defining who we are and what we believe to easily facilitate the separation of the goats from the sheep. I believe Baker’s centered approach is far superior for several reasons: it removes the boundary line that so easily excludes, it removes the bounded group’s power and centrality, and instead places Christ at the very center of it all. It allows for members who are far away (new believers for example) to still participate in the group as long as their orientation is towards the Center.