Join the Objector Church

We invite our friends, supporters and others to consider becoming a member of the Objector Church (aka. the Church of Conscious Objection).

Who can join?

All people are invited to join our community if they support the following values:

  • Respect for all human beings
  • Diversity
  • Opposition to war
  • Social justice
  • Sustainability

It is important to know that we do not require our members to:

  • Hold any specific position on the existence (or nonexistence) of a God or Gods.
  • Be an absolute pacifist — our church opposes war, but individual members may hold to different positions on the morality of violence in self-defense and other circumstances.
  • Practice a specific religious or spiritual practice — As a community we seek to support our members in practicing those rituals and traditions that are personally meaningful to them, but we do not believe there is one path for all people.
  • Only be a member of our community — We realize that many people find inspiration and support from more than one spiritual community.
  • Be of a certain age, nationality, etc. — We welcome all people to be a part of our community.

What are the benefits and costs of membership?

Associate Membership

Our associate member program is designed to allow people who are connected with us primarily through our online presence to be able to support and be more involved with the work of our church. Standard associate member dues are $60 annually. Low income, student, military, prisoner, and other discounted dues rates are available.

Associate Membership Form and Dues information

Please complete the form and mail to Objector Church / Courage to Resist, 484 Lake Park Ave #41, Oakland CA 94610. Please make dues check to “Objector Church”. Note that we hope to have an online form and payment method soon.

If you can’t wait, please 1) complete the form online, 2) save it as a PDF, Word document, or plain text, 3) email it to us at hello(at)objector.church, 4) pay your dues via our donation page.

Associate membership benefits include:

  • The joy of knowing you are contributing to a growing religious humanistic community.
  • Knowing that you are supporting the important work of Courage to Resist
  • Receiving periodic newsletters from the Objector Church and Courage to Resist
  • A membership card (PDF Download, which can be easily printed)
  • Having solid evidence to present to a future draft board, that you are conscientiously objected to war in all of its forms.
  • Being invited to participate in our members-only facebook group.
  • Invitations to participate in special events of the Objector Church (including a possible annual gathering starting in 2020).

Full Membership

Full membership is intended for individuals and households who want to be actively involved in a local congregation of the Objector Church and/or who want to receive ongoing pastoral care and support from our community.

  • All of the benefits of the associate membership (listed above)
  • $100 of credit each year that could be applied for classes, ebooks, etc. from The Objector Institute
  • Assistance from a church minister in creating meaningful rituals for lifecycle events (weddings, funerals, coming of age, etc.), either through email/telephone/video chat (for at-large members) or by appointment in Oklahoma City or Oakland.
  • For members in Oklahoma City – a minister of our church can officiate your wedding/commitment ceremony at reduced cost.
  • As needed, pastoral care from one of the ministers of the church.
  • Reduced cost online pastoral counseling from a minister of the church (available to members in most US states).

Full membership form and dues information

Our recommended dues for full-membership are based on the household annual income:

Percentage used for calculating annual dues:

  • Regular rate = 1% of annual income
  • Low income rate = 0.5% of annual income
  • High income rate = 1.5% of annual income

We trust our members to decide for themselves which rate they should pay, as individual and household circumstances vary widely, particularly in different regions.

To make the dues more affordable, members can pay their dues on a quarterly or monthly basis (using a credit or debit card). Dues can also be reduced or waived for church members who are engaged in significant volunteer activities on behalf of the church.

How to join?

First, check out our website and literature to see if we are a good fit for you.

Ask any questions you may have of us, either in the online comments of one of our weekly online meetups, at an in-person gathering of the church,  via our contact form, or by email — hello(at)objector.church.

Next you’ll need to submit a membership form. When you submit your form, you’ll get to pick whether you want to be a member of an existing congregation or whether you will be an at-large member.

You will be notified very soon of your acceptance of membership (either by your local congregation or by chair of the board of elders of the church).

Once you receive confirmation that you are approved for membership, you will need to pay your annual dues.

After you pay your dues, you’ll receive a welcome email from one of the ministers of the church and will have access to all of the benefits of membership.