# What Do Churches Say About Freemasonry?

> Official texts from the Catholic Church (1738, 1983, 2023), the Southern Baptist Convention (1993), the Lutheran Church–Missouri Synod, the Church of Greece (1933), the Methodist Church of Great Britain (1985 and 1996), the Church of England (1987), the Orthodox Presbyterian Church (1942), the Assemblies of God, and the Christian Reformed Church.

- Canonical: https://apologetics.wiki/freemasonry/what-churches-say-about-freemasonry
- Religions: Freemasonry
- Denominations: none
- Beliefs: none
- Tags: freemasonry, church statements
- Updated: 2026-10-13
- Author: [Paul Ambrose](https://apologetics.wiki/author/hi-its-paul) ([GitHub](https://github.com/hi-its-paul))


Most churches that have issued an official text on Freemasonry find it incompatible with Christian faith, for different reasons. The Catholic Church forbids membership. The Lutheran Church–Missouri Synod, the Christian Reformed Church, the Orthodox Presbyterian Church, the Church of Greece, and the Assemblies of God reject it. The Methodist Church of Great Britain advises against it. The Southern Baptist Convention found many teachings incompatible but left membership to conscience. Each body is quoted below from its own document.

## Key Points

- [Catholic Church, 1983](https://www.vatican.va/roman_curia/congregations/cfaith/documents/rc_con_cfaith_doc_19831126_declaration-masonic_en.html) [(2)](#ref-2): “The faithful who enrol in Masonic associations are in a state of grave sin and may not receive Holy Communion.”
- [Southern Baptist Convention, 1993](http://media2.sbhla.org.s3.amazonaws.com/annuals/SBC_Annual_1993.pdf) [(4)](#ref-4): “many tenets and teachings of Freemasonry are not compatible with Christianity or Southern Baptist doctrine,” and membership is “a matter of personal conscience.”
- [Church of Greece, 1933](https://orthodoxinfo.com/ecumenism/masonry) [(6)](#ref-6): “true Christianity is incompatible with Freemasonry.”
- [Methodist Church, 1985](https://media.methodist.org.uk/media/documents/fo-statement-guidance-to-methodists-on-freemasonry-1985_FqrCK9z.pdf) [(7)](#ref-7): Jahbulon is “an example of syncretism … which Christians cannot accept.”
- [Christian Reformed Church](https://www.crcna.org/welcome/beliefs/position-statements/lodge-and-church-membership) [(12)](#ref-12): “There is an irreconcilable conflict between the teachings and practices of the lodge and those of biblical Christianity.”

## Positions at a Glance

| Church | Document | Position |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Catholic Church | [In Eminenti](https://www.papalencyclicals.net/clem12/c12inemengl.htm), Clement XII, 1738 [(1)](#ref-1) | Condemns the lodges and forbids the faithful to join. |
| Catholic Church | [Declaration on Masonic Associations](https://www.vatican.va/roman_curia/congregations/cfaith/documents/rc_con_cfaith_doc_19831126_declaration-masonic_en.html), 1983 [(2)](#ref-2) | Membership forbidden; members “in a state of grave sin.” |
| Catholic Church | [Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith](https://www.vatican.va/roman_curia/congregations/cfaith/documents/rc_ddf_doc_20231113_richiesta-cortes-massoneria_en.html), 2023 [(3)](#ref-3) | Reaffirms 1983, including for clerics. |
| Southern Baptist Convention | [1993 Annual, Freemasonry report](http://media2.sbhla.org.s3.amazonaws.com/annuals/SBC_Annual_1993.pdf) [(4)](#ref-4) | Many teachings incompatible; membership left to conscience. |
| Lutheran Church–Missouri Synod | [CTCR, Evaluation: The Lodge](https://files.lcms.org/api/download/file/ctcr-evaluation-the-lodge), 2005 [(5)](#ref-5) | Teachings and practices “conflict with the fundamental teachings of the Christian faith.” |
| Church of Greece | [Statement of the bishops](https://orthodoxinfo.com/ecumenism/masonry), 1933 [(6)](#ref-6) | Incompatible; members told to sever all ties. |
| Methodist Church of Great Britain | [Guidance](https://media.methodist.org.uk/media/documents/fo-statement-guidance-to-methodists-on-freemasonry-1985_FqrCK9z.pdf), 1985 [(7)](#ref-7); [review](https://media.methodist.org.uk/media/documents/fo-statement-freemasonry-1996_BKj0TuG.pdf), 1996 [(8)](#ref-8) | Advises Methodists not to join; 1996 keeps the 1985 convictions. |
| Church of England | General Synod report, 1987, [as quoted in 2016](https://www.ecclesiasticallawassociation.org.uk/judgments/memorials/deanstoswald2016ecccar5.pdf) [(9)](#ref-9) | “Very fundamental reasons to question the compatibility.” No prohibition. |
| Orthodox Presbyterian Church | [Christ or the Lodge?](https://www.opc.org/GA/masonry.html), 1942 [(10)](#ref-10) | “A religious institution and as such is definitely anti-Christian.” |
| Assemblies of God | [Bylaws](https://ag.org/-/media/AGORG/Downloads/Constitution-and-Bylaws/2021-Constitution-and-Bylaws.pdf) [(11)](#ref-11) | Ministers refrain from secret orders and sever ties. |
| Christian Reformed Church | [Position statement](https://www.crcna.org/welcome/beliefs/position-statements/lodge-and-church-membership) [(12)](#ref-12) | Membership in both is “incompatible with and contrary to Scripture.” |

## Catholic Church

Clement XII wrote in 1738 that in these societies “men of any Religion or sect, satisfied with the appearance of natural probity, are joined together … by a strict and unbreakable bond which obliges them, both by an oath upon the Holy Bible and by a host of grievous punishment, to an inviolable silence about all that they do in secret together.” [(1)](#ref-1)

The Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith declared in 1983: “Therefore the Church’s negative judgment in regard to Masonic association remains unchanged since their principles have always been considered irreconcilable with the doctrine of the Church and therefore membership in them remains forbidden. The faithful who enrol in Masonic associations are in a state of grave sin and may not receive Holy Communion.” [(2)](#ref-2)

In 2023 the Dicastery wrote that “active membership in Freemasonry by a member of the faithful is forbidden because of the irreconcilability between Catholic doctrine and Freemasonry,” and that “These measures also apply to any clerics enrolled in Freemasonry.” [(3)](#ref-3)

## Southern Baptist Convention

The 1993 convention adopted a Home Mission Board report. It acknowledged “That many outstanding Christians and Southern Baptists now are, and in the past [have been] Masons” and commended Masonic charity. It concluded “That many tenets and teachings of Freemasonry are not compatible with Christianity or Southern Baptist doctrine,” listing among them “the use of words such as ‘Abaddon’ and ‘Jah-Bul-On,’ the so-called secret name of God” and the “so-called ‘bloody oaths.’” It recommended that “membership in a Masonic Order be a matter of personal conscience.” [(4)](#ref-4)

## Lutheran Church–Missouri Synod

The Commission on Theology and Church Relations calls Freemasonry “a primary example of such an organization that espouses and promotes teachings and practices that conflict with the fundamental teachings of the Christian faith.” It answers the lodge’s “purity of life and conduct” with [Galatians 2:21](/bible/galatians/2/21): “if righteousness could be gained through the law … Christ died for nothing.” [(5)](#ref-5)

## Church of Greece

The 1933 statement, accepted by the bishops, says Freemasonry “is not simply a philanthropic union or a philosophical school, but constitutes a mystagogical system which reminds us of the ancient heathen mystery-religions and cults.” It concludes: “It is not lawful to belong at the same time to Christ and to search for redemption and moral perfection outside Him. For these reasons true Christianity is incompatible with Freemasonry.” [(6)](#ref-6)

## Methodist Church of Great Britain

The 1985 report names Jahbulon as “The most serious theological objection to Freemasonry for Christians” and calls the word “an example of syncretism, an attempt to unite different religions in one, which Christians cannot accept.” [(7)](#ref-7) The 1996 review says “several changes of note have been made to the nature of Freemasonry since our previous report in 1985, many of them most welcome,” and that “the fundamental convictions of the 1985 report remain.” [(8)](#ref-8)

## Church of England

The General Synod debated the report Freemasonry and Christianity: Are They Compatible? in July 1987. As quoted by the Carlisle consistory court in 2016, the report said some Christians “perceive them as positively evil” and that non-Masonic members of the working party were “of the mind that the Report points to a number of very fundamental reasons to question the compatibility of Freemasonry and Christianity.” Synod endorsed it by 394 votes to 52. The court adds that “at national level there have been no formal developments since the 1987 debate.” [(9)](#ref-9)

## Orthodox Presbyterian Church

The committee’s 1942 report quotes Mackey and Pike and concludes that “Masonry is a religious institution and as such is definitely anti-Christian.” It adds, “Far be it from the committee to assert that there are no Christians among the members of the Masonic fraternity.” [(10)](#ref-10)

## Assemblies of God

The bylaws say the secret orders’ influence aims “at the improvement of the natural man only” and that confidence in them “has always tended toward the embracing of a false hope of salvation through good works and improved moral service.” Therefore “all ministers affiliated with the Assemblies of God should refrain from identifying themselves with any of the secret orders,” and those who have joined are advised “to sever their connections with them.” [(11)](#ref-11)

## Christian Reformed Church

“There is an irreconcilable conflict between the teachings and practices of the lodge and those of biblical Christianity; therefore simultaneous membership in the lodge and in the church of Jesus Christ is incompatible with and contrary to Scripture.” The statement lists synodical reports of 1900, 1958, 1974, 1975, and 1977 [(12)](#ref-12).

## Frequently Asked Questions

### Does Any Church Approve of Freemasonry?

None of the bodies quoted here endorses it. The Southern Baptist Convention and the Church of England stopped short of a prohibition [(4)](#ref-4) [(9)](#ref-9).

### Did the Catholic Ban End in 1983?

No. The 1983 declaration answers the question raised because “the new Code of Canon Law does not mention them expressly,” and says the judgment “remains unchanged” [(2)](#ref-2). The 2023 note repeats it [(3)](#ref-3).

## Passages Quoted on This Page

### Galatians 2:21

King James Version.

> I do not frustrate the grace of God: for if righteousness come by the law, then Christ is dead in vain.

## Sources
Numbered to match the HTML References list. Item 1 is `#ref-1` under `#references`. Scripture links to the King James Version on this site.

1. [In Eminenti](https://www.papalencyclicals.net/clem12/c12inemengl.htm) (Clement XII, 1738, English on Papal Encyclicals Online.)
2. [Declaration on Masonic Associations](https://www.vatican.va/roman_curia/congregations/cfaith/documents/rc_con_cfaith_doc_19831126_declaration-masonic_en.html) (Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, 26 November 1983.)
3. [The Request of His Excellency, the Most Rev. Julito Cortes, Bishop of Dumaguete (Philippines)](https://www.vatican.va/roman_curia/congregations/cfaith/documents/rc_ddf_doc_20231113_richiesta-cortes-massoneria_en.html) (Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith, 13 November 2023.)
4. [Annual of the Southern Baptist Convention, 1993, Freemasonry report, pp. 224–227](http://media2.sbhla.org.s3.amazonaws.com/annuals/SBC_Annual_1993.pdf) (Southern Baptist Historical Library and Archives.)
5. [Evaluation: The Lodge](https://files.lcms.org/api/download/file/ctcr-evaluation-the-lodge) (Commission on Theology and Church Relations, Lutheran Church–Missouri Synod, 2005.)
6. [Freemasonry: Official Statement of the Church of Greece (1933)](https://orthodoxinfo.com/ecumenism/masonry) (English translation on the Orthodox Christian Information Center, not a Church of Greece site.)
7. [Guidance to Methodists on Freemasonry (1985)](https://media.methodist.org.uk/media/documents/fo-statement-guidance-to-methodists-on-freemasonry-1985_FqrCK9z.pdf) (Methodist Church of Great Britain.)
8. [Freemasonry (1996)](https://media.methodist.org.uk/media/documents/fo-statement-freemasonry-1996_BKj0TuG.pdf) (Methodist Church of Great Britain.)
9. [Re St Oswald, Dean (2016), Consistory Court of the Diocese of Carlisle, paras. 28–32](https://www.ecclesiasticallawassociation.org.uk/judgments/memorials/deanstoswald2016ecccar5.pdf) (Quotes the Church of England’s 1987 report Freemasonry and Christianity: Are They Compatible? which was not found online.)
10. [Christ or the Lodge? Report of the Committee on Secret Societies](https://www.opc.org/GA/masonry.html) (Presented to the Ninth (1942) General Assembly of the Orthodox Presbyterian Church.)
11. [Constitution and Bylaws of the General Council of the Assemblies of God, Bylaws, Membership in Secret Orders](https://ag.org/-/media/AGORG/Downloads/Constitution-and-Bylaws/2021-Constitution-and-Bylaws.pdf) (2021 edition.)
12. [Lodge and Church Membership](https://www.crcna.org/welcome/beliefs/position-statements/lodge-and-church-membership) (Christian Reformed Church in North America position statement.)

## See Also
- [Can a Christian Be a Freemason?](https://apologetics.wiki/freemasonry/can-a-christian-be-a-freemason) — Grand lodges say Freemasonry is not a religion and welcomes men of every faith. Most churches that have studied it say its rituals, prayers, and oaths make it a religious system that a Christian should not join. This page sets out both claims from their own texts.
- [Did Albert Pike Teach Lucifer Worship?](https://apologetics.wiki/freemasonry/albert-pike-and-lucifer) — Albert Pike’s Morals and Dogma (1871) mentions Lucifer on pages 102, 321, and 324, and this page quotes each passage in context. The 1889 “Luciferian doctrine” instructions often attributed to Pike were written by Léo Taxil, who confessed the hoax in 1897.
- [What Are the Masonic Oaths and Penalties?](https://apologetics.wiki/freemasonry/masonic-oaths-and-penalties) — The obligations of the Blue Lodge and Royal Arch, as the nineteenth-century exposures print them, carried penalties of a cut throat, a torn-open breast, a body severed in two, and a skull smote off. The United Grand Lodge of England removed the physical penalties from its obligations in 1986.
- [What Are the Order of the Eastern Star and DeMolay?](https://apologetics.wiki/freemasonry/eastern-star-and-demolay) — The Order of the Eastern Star is a Masonic-related order for men who are Master Masons and for women. DeMolay is a Masonic-sponsored order for young men aged 12 to 21. Both are tied to Freemasonry by their membership rules.
- [What Are the York Rite and Scottish Rite Degrees?](https://apologetics.wiki/freemasonry/york-rite-and-scottish-rite-degrees) — After the three Blue Lodge degrees, a Master Mason may join further bodies. The York Rite adds the Mark Master, Past Master, Most Excellent Master, and Royal Arch degrees and the Knights Templar orders. The Scottish Rite numbers its degrees from the 4th to the 32nd.