“What's in a name?”

Will Shakespeare explained that names really weren’t important.

That which we call a rose
By any other name would smell as sweet.

The Southern Baptist Convention isn’t so sure about that, referring to results of a recent survey:

SBC President Bryant Wright said the church's name might be too "regional." But he also said the name might be limiting the church's ability to "maximize our effectiveness in reaching North America for Jesus Christ in the 21st century."

I’ve allowed my mind to spend a bit of time theorizing what new name could be applied, and options are limited.  They changed the retail outlet from “Baptist Bookstore” to “Lifeway,” but somehow  The First Lifeway Church doesn’t ring any bells for me.  Or the church where I was baptized – Immanuel Baptist Church of Tulsa – doesn’t sound right as “Immanuel Lifeway Church of Tulsa.”  So, I expect they would look further.  How about biblical usages?

Well, they can’t use Church of Christ, Christian Church, Church of God – already taken. Would it be as simple as removing the regional limitation of “Southern”?  Probably not, as there are literally dozens of Baptist churches.  How would they differentiate?

To remove the Baptist removes a great deal of history. The name was applied to one of our basic doctrines:

Baptists comprise a group of Christian denominations and churches that subscribe to a doctrine that baptism should be performed only for professing believers (believer's baptism, as opposed to infant baptism), and that it must be done by immersion (as opposed to affusion or sprinkling). Other tenets of Baptist churches include soul competency (liberty), salvation through faith alone, scripture alone as the rule of faith and practice, and the autonomy of the local congregation.

That paragraph describes our congregation very well. Oh, there is much more, as we continually study scriptures as the basis of our faith:

So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God. (Romans 10:17 KJV)

And confirming salvation is through faith alone:

For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: (Ephesians 2:8 KJV)

And that gift includes Jesus, God Himself as Messiah:

And brought them out, and said, Sirs, what must I do to be saved? And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house. (Acts 16:30-31 KJV)

And that salvation will produce good fruit:

Yea, a man may say, Thou hast faith, and I have works: shew me thy faith without thy works, and I will shew thee my faith by my works. (James 2:18 KJV)

I am glad that my congregation is not changing the name of the building where we meet. We will continue to "maximize our effectiveness” by reaching out with the same gospel written to the first churches.

And believers were the more added to the Lord, multitudes both of men and women.) (Acts 5:14 KJV)