Resolution On The Name Baptist

meh, polity and structure is more important than a name to me.

I've served in a number of Baptist churches that didn't have Baptist in their name.

 

The name on the sign outside is not what matters, but what they preach and teach. I would want to know their reasoning, though, for changing the name or dropping Baptist from the name. I would have no problem with Baptist being dropped as long as they didn't drop the truth with it..

 

If you are a Baptist church why not let people know in advance. Hiding it by removing it off the sign is deceitful.

 

Because there are so many varieties of Baptist churches that the term Baptist doesn't necessarily explain a whole lot.

 

It explains that you are not non denominational which is exactly what people think when a denominational name is not on the sign. They certainly have an expectation that it is not part of any denomination.

 

But some Baptists are pretty much nondenominational. (Like IFBs.)

Another question: should Southern Baptist Churches indicate "Southern Baptist" in their title?

I would think this would better accomplish the goals. It is analogous to Methodist congregations. Those affiliated with the UMC almost always have ____ United Methodist Church as the name.

 

BTW...I'm not saying that I necessarily support taking Baptist out of the name; I just gave a possible answer to the question.

 

The name of the church does not necessarily need to reflect it but it should appear on any signage or advertisement. There is a practice to remove "baptist" so as not to offend which is deceitful. If we are going to advertise who we are then we need to advertise who we are.

 

Two points:
1. Eliminating Baptist from the church name is a marketing tool, pure and simple.

2. There are a number of varieties of Baptist, but for the most part, when you see the name, you have an idea of what you'll get. I know of a Presbyterian, who traveled a lot. On Sunday, he always look for a Baptist Church because Baptist have a reputation for preaching the Bible. He wasn't always that sure he'd get that kind of preaching in a Presbyterian church (some were pretty liberal)

 

If you are ashamed of the name, time to move on

I cannot understand why anyone would support taking out the Baptist name, regardless of what type. If one is ashamed of it, then you need to find a local church that you are not ashamed of. It is very odd that some Baptists feel this way. I have never heard of Catholic, Church of Christ, Mormon, Presbyterian, or any other denomination hiding their name.

 

I may be living a sheltered life, but the IFB churches I know of, and the one I am a member of, are definitely not non-denominational. They are Baptist to the core. :thumbsup:

IMHO if a church member does not want to be identified as Baptist, then he/she should move to a church that they can be identified with. There are many non-Baptist churches available. However, if a church believes the Baptist doctrines, preaches the Baptist doctrines, endorses Baptist polity, to attempt to hide those truths by not including Baptist as part of their name is bordering on hypocrisy, and at best is deceitful. :tear:

As far as the descriptive "Southern" being part of the name, I believe that if a local church is a member of a Southern Baptist Convention (local, state or national) then they should not shrink from letting it be known that such is the case.

 

IFB churches do not have an overarching denomination. They are independent, albeit Baptist, churches. SBC churches are autonomous, but they are linked to a larger structure as well. IFBs are not "nondenominational" in terms of faith and practice but in terms of affiliation with other churches.

 

It's not a strictly Baptist thing to do. I worked in church consulting for several years while in seminary. Many of our clients were "Yourtown Community Church" or "Adverbial Church" and many were UCC, Presbyterian, many varieties of Baptist, Reformed, Bible churches, Christian Missionary Alliance, etc.

Also Mormons don't have the term "mormon" in their local assembly's name. It is "The Church of Jesus Christ of Later Day Saints."

Just saying, it's not a strictly Baptist thing. Again, I don't care. It is a decision an autonomous, local New Testament church makes. I've served in both kinds. The name doesn't mean anything unless lives are being changed. :saint:

 

I agree with this thought whole-heartedly... in the end, redemption is all that matters no matter whether "Baptist" is on the sign or not.

 

So very true!!! There was a push back in the 60's for churches to drop the name Baptist, because so many were not in step with the secular world around them, like going to a dance, women getting their hair color changed every week or so, drinking, gambling, going to movies and so on and into going to church 3 or so times a week. At that time most who were pushing it were liberal Baptist but a few conservative Baptist believes the name Baptist were to much into legalism and wanted to get away from that brand of Baptist.

In the 80's there was another push to drop the name Baptist and be looked at as a nondenominational church because at that time many were teaching that higher income folks and higher givers were drawn to nondenominational churches.

In the 90's right up to now many drop the name Baptist to be more like the Pentecostals in music and some of their practices and many Reformed churches have done that too. With in 30 miles of the house there are 2 I would say are on the music side of the change and one on reformed teaching and one on both, music and reformed.

I for one like to see the name Baptist because I travel and when I get to a town driving by, I look up in the phone book and try and go to a church that I might believe they are much like my home church, names do help, even if they aren't always correct to the teaching.

 

Whether lives are being changed or souls being saved or not it is a poor witness to hide what you are so as to fool or deceive some to come in who otherwise would not.

 

I was once told that there are at least 40 different kinds of Baptist churches with various beliefs. In my home city there's a 7th Day Baptist. I've heard of a "Baptist" church with catholic beliefs. Then there are the "Bapticostals".

 

Where my parents grew up the name Baptist was associated with anti-Catholic rather than what Baptist really means. To them Baptist does not give them a clue what a Baptist really is rather they see Baptists as anti-Catholic.

Many couples who were not Christians when they got married and then became Christians later choose to attend a non-denominational church because they experience a church that does not promote a denomination and everything else associated with it but rather one that preaches the Bible.