It is easy to say we are removing a barrier by taking baptist off the sign, but in doing so we are misleading those who do not want to go to a Baptist church about who we are if we are removing Baptist to get them to come in.
I still don’t think you get the point I’ve been trying to make.
Most people (including Baptists) don’t really know their Baptist distinctives very well. All they know is what they see on television or hear other people say. And unfortunately, most of the Baptists who get television coverage are not talking about Baptist distinctives, but are usually presenting some sort of political position, getting arrested, or the Westboro cult acting like anything but Christians.
So I don’t think the name “Baptist” is a helpful descriptor to unchurched people. To people who are involved in church life already, they will know enough to check into things and do some research on the Web.
Regardless of what one thinks is their motive it is "fooling" them is what is going on. It lacks transparency and forthrightness that Christians should be known for.
Thinking about it, there are some small communities I know in West Texas that only have one church, and it happens to be Baptist. Yet, for the better part of a century the single church in the community has just been named [Name of Community] Church. Do you think they are somehow being dishonest because they don’t spell everything out on the sign?
If you are a hyper-Calvinist, should you put “
You May Be Damned For All Eternity and Can’t Do A Thing About It Family Church” on the sign?
What about holding to traditional Baptist beliefs regarding baptism – “
Your Infant Baptism Is Meaningless Fellowship Church”?
Is that really the best way to approach the unchurched?
Shouldn’t they get to know the beliefs of a congregation in some sort of context before they make a judgment?
I suggest that we get out into the community and show them who we are by building relationships.
You’re assuming the hypothetical church in question is trying to do building-centered evangelism, and that’s ridiculous.
Every church I’ve known that is essentially Baptist but does not use the word “Baptist” in the formal name is very active building relationships in the community. By not using the name Baptist they are actually avoiding some of the traditional Baptist “church-hoppers” who move back and forth between congregations following charismatic ministers or popular programs, so they are more focused on the unchurched.
Even the church where I am a member which
does identify as Baptist in the name relies on relationship building and working in the community to draw people in.
Rather than marketing techniques.
Hate to break it to you, but building relationships is the essence of marketing. (I earn my living in marketing for a professional firm, so I know that of which I speak.) It is a very positive type of marketing motivated by love (like Jesus), but marketing nonetheless.
I know you’re trying to make marketing a dirty word, but it’s not. It’s a neutral term and can be perfect, completely evil or many things in between.
The church has become business like because it wants to not because it needs to. And it leads to thought processes that are not an example of Christian integrity.
You’re the one ascribing evil motives and actions to everything… you are insisting that others have evil motives and then declaring them evil because of their thought processes. That’s circular logic with a holier-than-thou halo scotch-taped to it.
I am grieved to have to disagree so strongly. I do not do it lightly.
Believe me, a few years ago I would have been right beside you arguing the same thing. However my eyes have been opened recently to some of these issues and I see that they are not as simple as I thought they were.
I do not believe there is any malicious intentions.
I believe you, although you certainly are ascribing bad motives to the hypothetical congregation we’ve been talking about!
I do pray that God blesses all your ministries.
And yours as well. There is room for “Baptist”-named ministries as well as regular Baptist ministries.
