What is in a Name?

Hello Haddon, welcome to the Baptist Board. Myself, I think your Church should make this change, but that is just my opinion.
Also, I am not a moderator and cannot speak for them, but there could be a problem with you posting in the "Baptist Only" sections when you do not go to a Church with a Baptist name. May the Lord direct your Church members in this matter.

 

This sounds like change merely for the sake of change. What's the point?

 

Shakespeare once wrote, 'What's in a name? That which we call a rose, by any other name, would smell just as sweet'

That which we call a hamburger, by any other name would cost twice as much.

 

If you are Baptist in doctrine, why not be Baptist in name?

 

What's in a name? depends on the name.\

Ed has two letters in it
Ron - 3
George - 6

I guess the answer is letters

 

Haddon said:

Ransom I wanted to address your comment as this particular comment has come up in our church. What about the individual that comes to our church for the first time and thinks we are a nondenominational church?

What about the individual who comes to your church, sees "Podunk Baptist Church" on the sign for the first time, and thinks you are a Southern Baptist church when you're really IFB? Slapping the name "Baptist" into the official name of the church isn't going to solve anything except perhaps keeping those pesky Brethren out.

You could always put your church affiliation on the sign in small print, or in your bulletin, or something: "An Independent, Baptist Church." That's a perfectly reasonable thing to inform random strangers of. Plus, it probably avoids all the church politics and legal red tape that a formal name change would entail (not to mention the headache of having to change all your stationery, and so forth).

What about the individual who is looking for a Baptist church but finds back biting and strife?

ROFL! You make it sound like they're mutually exclusive.

If there's backbiting and strife, the problem is with the people in the church, not the sign on the church.

[ March 11, 2006, 11:40 PM: Message edited by: Ransom ]

 

As a Marine a lot is in a name. Many former Marines (we don't use the term "ex") have sacrificed much and for me to proudly earn and claim this title is honoring to their service and brings honor to my service. So why is it ok to have "Brand Names" in the commerical (read secular) world but try to be wishy-washy about it in our Churches? I am Baptist by conviction because I believe the Baptist faith is the closest to resembling the New Testament Church. So I think a Church name should reflect the Church's beliefs and teachings and be a name worn with honor and changed as soon as possible!!

 

Having the name Baptist over the door does not mean that much these days. But, changing the name or taking the name off does make a statement about something. Either the doctrinal position of the church has changed or the membership has. If the church caled this man to be their pastor with the understanding that he was Baptist and had the intention of making the church a Baptist church, the name should reflect this. The name does/should identify the doctrinal position of the church.

 

Well words do matter and so do names, but everything in it's own place.

To say that a name is just a name borders on "nominalism", that is an ancient philosophy that says that words are just sounds - they mean whatever you and I agree to make them mean. Hence Bill Clinton's "sex" wasn't "sex" unless both he and I agreed that it was indeed "sex".

But just as ideas have consequences, words have real meanings, and it is a good thing to seek the best expression of ideas through the proper words.

There are many baptist churches without the word Baptist in the name, and I've never been comfortable with that. I say if the church body, by a signified majority, desires to have that identity, then by all means it should be inlcuded in the name.

 

uh...yeah DITTO!!

I just usually use more words to say that but I'll save you from having to read so much more of my opinions

 

Having gone from 'bible' church to 'baptist' church, I understand what Haddon is talking about. There is an association of bible church with non-denominational anything goes. It is not hard to tell when people walk in the door and see a bunch of baptists that they feel they have been betrayed I think that laying all the cards on the table to begin with is probably best. How would you feel if you went to 'Local Christian Assembly' and found out they were really JW's?

 

James, good point. This is not a cut-and-dry issue. I guess I'm just trying to say that the name is important and shouldn't be chosen in a flippant manner.