But yet the pastor of a new church doesn't care what you believe...He's there to teach you what he believes...
In my experience, before being allowed membership in a church, one has to make an admission of what he believes before membership is allowed...And it must be in agreement with what the church believes...No need for a recited creed...
How does the applying member know what the church believes, if the church refuses to document and make their beliefs public? And how is what you describe above different than assenting to a creed, assuming the church's beliefs are documented somewhere?