The call came from an eager young man starting a new church in Florida. He already had 50 people meeting in homes in Bible studies. They had secured a leased space to launch the church in just a few months. But they were having trouble coming to a consensus on the name of the church. What could I tell him about church names? Were there pitfalls or opportunities where they needed greater awareness for their church’s name?
While I could not provide a precise church name for their congregation, I could share with him these seven trends I had seen emerge. Perhaps “trend” is not the best choice of a word, since some of these issues have been around for quite a while.
- Newer churches are consistently using descriptors in their names other than denominational affiliation. Some are focusing on their location. Others are at least implying a distinctive doctrinal leaning. And still others are using more trendy and less common terms.
- Denominational names, though, are still dominant among church names. Though the information is four years old, OpenBible.info did a fascinating study of church names. Some of their conclusions are still valid today. Denominational names still dominate, and “Baptist” is the major denominational name.
- The most common church name is “First Baptist.” Over 5,000 churches have this name. Of course, this name by itself does not specify which Baptist denomination; and there are many different denominations that have Baptist in their own name.
- Many words are becoming common in newer church names. Some of those words are Christ, Community, Fellowship, Assembly, Center, Chapel, Life, Faith, Bible, Grace, and New.
- Outsiders are often confused about church names. Several years ago, I did an informal survey of the preferred denomination among unchurched persons. The second most frequent response was the “Community” denomination. Of course, that denomination does not exist; but it is in a lot of church names.
- The Internet has led to shorter church names. Churches are choosing names that don’t become a long URL.
- Church names may be important, but they are not the most important factor in people choosing a church home. Relationships, personal invitations, good preaching, and friendly people, among other reasons, still trump the church name as the reason someone chooses a particular church.
One of the more challenging features of a church name takes place when the church is named for a location, but that location no longer exists. Or, perhaps, the church moved from that location. So if Hickory Avenue Community Church is no longer located on Hickory Avenue, guests may be confused by the name related to the location. Still, many churches tenaciously hold on to such names, even if it engenders confusion.
I also see a number of churches take a name after a church split. For example, a group of people split from the Harmony Church after an ugly church fight, and took on the new name of Greater Harmony Church.
I would love to hear your thoughts on church names. I also hope some of you can share some interesting and, perhaps, humorous church names of which you are aware.
Posted on April 23, 2014
With nearly 40 years of ministry experience, Thom Rainer has spent a lifetime committed to the growth and health of local churches across North America.
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111 Comments
I visited a church plant in Brick NJ called Remedy Church. I thought that was the best name ever! Christ our remedy!
I’ve been noodling Koine names if I ever plant a church. Koinonia, Soteria, Oikos — things that would make people ask questions, and when the translation is explained would describe the purpose of the body
isn’t Oikos a greek yogurt?
Yes, but it’s also a Greek word that means ‘house.’
I saw a church that started in a funeral home called “Resurrection Baptist Church”
Appropriate! Ha!
My favorite is the Halfway Baptist Church in Halfway, Missouri.
I used to live near Halfway, Maine, so-called because it was “Half-way” between Saco and Old Orchard Beach, Maine.
–Skippy in Canada
I love your comment with humor of Harmony and Greater Harmony Church. There is a hidden message for us if we dig deep enough.
You have to dig deep for that? Or were you just kidding?
Having had some success (all glory be to God for it) in reaching people who are outside the church, I’m glad our denom (Reformed Church in America) isn’t in our name. I love my extended church family but people don’t know what “Reformed” means. Folks with no church background have ZERO idea what the theological or ecclesiastic distinctions of the denom are and one friend outside the church even asked, “so is that a Christian church?”. So if anything, we ought to have the word “Christian” in our name just to avoid that sort of confusion : )
I pastor a First Baptist. The most common confusions FBCs envoke in my experience are,
1. That all FBCs are just alike. I’ve invited people who say that they don’t need to check us out because they already visited an FBC before.
2. That it is an arrogant name (this I agree with). It says nothing more than being first.
3. That it is not a name at all – I don’t refer to my oldest son as ‘the first son of Josh’, we use his name instead.
As much as I do not like the FBC name there is some benefit to keeping it. We have simply employed a ‘nickname’ which has worked out great. Most people in our city refer to the nickname which came bout through social media handles and URLs but still recognize that FBC is the same church.
My favorite real church name is just south of Nashville. It’s the Progressive Primitive Baptist Church. Our two year old church plant took about three months to pray through our name. It came down to Blackman Community Church vs. Blackman Baptist Church.
Is it a Nazarene denomination?
“The church at….”
Is becoming a popular formula. Largely due to the influence of David platt i assume.
I had a friend who once pastored Plainview Baptist because 50 years prior they split from a church about a quarter mile up the road and said they were going to build their new church in plain view of the other one…wow!
Our Church Has The Word “Memorial” In It. I Find Most People Associate That Word With An Older Congregation.. Our Average Age Is Actuall 35!
In The Next 3-4 Years We Will Move To A New Location…We Were Thinking Of A Name Change At That Time…Thoughts??
Maybe ‘Christ Central’; ‘Cross Central”; ‘New Life’ or something.
Our church name here in North Myrtle Beach, South Carolina is called Barefoot Church…named for the area it was orginally started called Barefoot Landing. I receive many texts asking exactly what is a “barefoot” church, from those thinking since we are located only blocks from the ocean, everyone comes barefoot. And due to the relaxed environment some do, but that was not the intention
You must be locate on Holy Ground.