You remember that I told you a while back of the desire of some Southern Baptists to change the name of their church. Now a task force has recommended that the Southern Baptist Convention
keep its official name but give its members of our nation's largest
Protestant denomination the option of calling themselves "Great
Commission Baptists." In other words, Southern Baptists DBA Great Commission Baptists. I could hardly think of a more ungainly name, unless, of course, you decided upon Lord's Prayer Lutherans. If you are going to change your name or do business under another name, pick one that trips easily off the tongue and identifies you accurately and effectively. Even GCB is not an easy moniker. Also, think of the consequences of the name -- for example, would these Great Commission Baptists counter the No Outreach Stay at Home Baptists? Finally, the folks in the pews may understand "Great Commission" but I am not so sure that the lapsed or unchurched have a clue what it means... So maybe it is best to stick with Southern Baptist.... and maybe the Lutheran Church Missouri Synod folk might listen in here and think it over....
And for those people who do understand "Great Commission", the new name might as well have the same meaning as "Jehovah's Witness door knocker." Walking around to non-Baptists and telling them all "in your face style" that they are "going to hell" is not the greatest selling point to join a church.
ReplyDeleteI would be quite content if the LCMS were to change its name to one of the following:
Concordia Christians
or
Confessional Christians
>would these Great Commission Baptists counter the No Outreach Stay at Home Baptists?
ReplyDeleteThe "No Outreach Stay at Home" Baptists are better known as the Two-Seed-in-the-Spirit Predestinarian Baptists. They take Calvin's doctrine of predestination so seriously that they don't fund missions. They figure if God has already decided who is going to heaven and who is going to hell, and nothing anyone can do will change that, then why bother?
I like the name Concordia Christian Church. I think the elca is ruining our image.
ReplyDeleteThe seminaries, universities, publishing house and the confessions are all Concordia, so it would be very consistent.
ReplyDeleteLutheran is actually more confusing and less accurate.
Christian Church of the Concordia Confession
Christian Church - Concordia Confession
Concordia Confession Christian Church
Concordia Catholic Church (couldn't resist)
The roll out campaign for a Concordia Catholic Church could be a masterful evangelical enterprise because it would require putting the Book of Concord confessions and our catholic tradition front and center and explaining them.
ReplyDeleteWouldn't it be wonderful to see the "Book of Concord" at the top of the list of google searches?