MWR : What’s in a (church) name?

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Aug. 16, 2010 issue

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Tags: North of the 49th

What’s in a (church) name?

By John Longhurst

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There was a time, not so long ago, when it was easy to name a church.

John Longhurst is director of marketing and sales for Mennonite Publishing Network and a member of River East Mennonite Brethren Church.

It could be named chronologically: First Baptist, Second Church of Christ, Third Presbyterian.

Churches could take their cue from geography, naming themselves after a street, neighborhood, nearby park or part of town.

For some denominations, saints are a great source of names, as are biblical figures like the Holy Family, Mary or the Holy Ghost. Ditto for biblical concepts like Epiphany, Faith, Grace, Abundant Life, Immaculate Conception or Miracle.

Those days seem long gone and far away, at least in the evangelical world.

Here in Winnipeg, where I live, we have churches called Oasis, Springs, Faith Works 4 U, Soul Sanctuary, The Bridge, Solidrock, Church of the Rock, The Meeting Place and The Den.

Something similar is happening in the U.S. Blogger Dennis Baker looked around that country and found the following church names: Resonate, Revolution, Radiance, Mosaic, Encompass, Soma, Journey, Mars Hill, Solomon’s Porch, Celebration, Legacy, Encounter, The Well, Carpenter’s, Flipside, Substance, The Orchard, The Pursuit and The Table.

What’s driving the changes? The same thing that’s driving name changes in the business world: The need to stand out in a noisy and cluttered marketplace.

In this case, it’s the marketplace of theological ideas. People want a name that’s unique and memorable — one that arouses curiosity and sticks in the mind.

People also want names that stand out on the Internet. There are a lot of First Baptists out there, but only one called Liquid.

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