By DAVID EPPS
Pastor

"How did that church get that name?" I often wonder.

Oh, most names are pretty standard. Every town has a First Baptist, a First Methodist, and a First Presbyterian church. The large cities might even have a Second Baptist or whatever.

Sometimes, a church will choose a name on the basis of location so that people will know where to look. Jerry Falwell's Thomas Road Baptist Church of Lynchburg, VA comes to mind.

Locally, there are a number of congregations that have chosen this identification, including, Carriage Lane Presbyterian Church, Line Creek Baptist Church, Braelinn Baptist Church, Forest Park Assembly of God, and Turin United Methodist Church, to name a few. Then there are those who wish to convey a theological message in their name. Hence, there is Covenant Presbyterian, New Hope Baptist, Trinity Fellowship, Holy Trinity Catholic, Grace Baptist, Resurrection Lutheran, Redemption Episcopal, and-well, you get the idea.

Some churches are named after more modern people, such as Wesley Methodist Church, Asbury Methodist Church, N. G. Taylor Memorial Methodist (named after a guy that donated the land the church sits on), and Glenn Memorial Methodist (Methodists seem to name a lot of churches after less ancient people).

Some, especially in the liturgical tradition, chose a name that will reflect the contribution of biblical or early church figures such as St. Andrew's Episcopal Church, Saints Peter and Paul Orthodox Church, St. George Catholic Church, the Cathedral of St. Michael and All Angels, Church of the Apostles, St. Peter's African Methodist Episcopal, St. David's, and many others.

Still others focus on the person of Jesus Christ: Christ Our Shepherd Lutheran, Christ the King Charismatic Episcopal, Christ Our Hope Lutheran, Christ Church, Prince of Peace Lutheran, Christ the Redeemer, Christ our Peace, Christ Our Savior, and so on. In Atlanta, there is a Holy Spirit Catholic Church and a Cathedral of the Holy Spirit, both named after the most neglected member of the Trinity.

Then there are those that are named in "code." By this, I mean that biblically literate Christians will (maybe) understand the meaning of the name but no one else will. Names like: ZoÎ Fellowship, Maranatha Christian Church, Rhema Community Church, Evangel Assembly, Shekinah Church, and Koinonia Fellowship. I know what those names mean, but I'd bet a steak dinner that few others, even those active in church, have the slightest clue. Others choose names that convey a concept: New Life, Victory, Open Door, Friendship, Faith, Glad Tidings, New Beginnings, etc.

Some have names that defy an attempt to explain the origin of the name. In Tennessee, there is a Stone Dam Methodist Church that is neither built of stones, these are no stones on the grounds, and there isn't a dam anywhere around. Then there is Lakeside Christian Church that is twenty miles from the nearest pond. In Bristol, Tennessee, State Street United Methodist Church is miles away from State Street. Go figure.

Did you know that there IS such a thing as "The Perfect Church"? I kid you not. Several years ago, I was lost in Atlanta. As I pulled up to a stop sign, there, across the street, was a quaint little church building with a sign outside that proclaimed its name: "The Perfect Church." And they said there was no such thing!

On the way to Thomaston, from where I live, there is a church built in the shape of a lighthouse. And, across the country, hundreds of churches are called Lighthouse Baptist, or carry other denominational moniker, even though, for the most part, lighthouses are no longer functional, serve no current purpose, and are relics of a long ago past. Kinda like Cotton Gin Presbyterian or Stage Coach Episcopal (I made those names up).

My favorite odd name for a church is found in Rome, Ga., where "The Rapture Preparation Center - You too can go!" sits on a major highway. Some will take issue with me but, in spite of Tim LaHaye's "Left Behind" book series, the "rapture" doctrine, as commonly understood in many evangelical circles, did not exist in church history until sometime in the 19th century. Even if a valid doctrine, it seems odd to build a church around one single teaching. But it happens all the time.

The award for the most restrictive church name goes to a church in the Appalachian Mountains.

In North Carolina, I once saw a church sign that read something like: "First Freewill Baptist Pentecostal Seventh-Day Holiness Church - Full Gospel, Pre-millennial, pre-tribulation, fundamentalist, King James only." It was a Sunday morning and there were only about six cars in the parking lot.

What's in a name? A great deal, evidently. A number of years ago, I served as the pastor of a congregation that went through a name change. There were 219 nominations for the new name and the process took over a year. There were hurt feelings and at least a third of the people didn't initially like the name the majority chose.

We church folks are serious about our church names. Now if we could just get as serious about living the Christian life and about sharing our faith with others.

[The Reverend Father David Eppsis Rector of Christ the KingCharismatic Episcopal Churchin the Coweta/Fayette County area of  South Metro AtlantaHe may be contacted at FatherDavidEpps@aol.com or at www.ctkcec.org.]

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