Asking a send an email instead of registration form

I have build a WordPress website (Something like Reddit, but for a specific niche) for a client. He believe that one quality member is useful than unwanted 100 members.

First, he hate both spam registration and users who have no interest for that niche.

So he wanted to moderate all users and he suggested following ways. Assume that following page is registration page.

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Apply for the Membership

Do you interest to join this site? Send us a email to us (info@example.com) with your name, country, about you, etc......We will create a account for you and reply back if you are selected become a member of this site. bla bla bla...............

Note : Please note that these are my words and he had 500+ words complete description......

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Then he will create a account after reading emails and reply that "your account is created and you can add a password, bla bla bla...............".

The purpose of this is, that site have just only quality users.

He said if a user ready to send a email requesting for membership, defiantly he is like to join that site and he need persons like him.

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But I said I have never seen a process like that and it might be lost many users for your website because it is against user experience principles.

The question

Is this process is really bad? What should I do to make this process little bit better for user experience wise?