To 'Baptist' or not to 'Baptist' depends on your mission
___By Marv Knox, Editor
___SAN ANTONIO--The word "Baptist" in a church's name can make a significant impact on the congregation's potential membership, according to a pair of church starters.
___"To 'Baptist' or not to 'Baptist'? That is the question," quipped Keith Abbott, pastor of North Hills Community Church in Austin.
___The use of "Baptist" in the name definitely will shape the membership of a church, added Greg Hill, pastor of Southwest Hills Community Church in Austin.
___They led a seminar titled "Survivor: Keys to Outwit, Outplay and Outlast the First Year of Church Planting" in a set of seminars for innovative church ministry that preceded the Baptist General Convention of Texas Evangelism Conference.
___ "Actually, this question is not as controversial as it used to be," Abbott said, noting a rising number of Baptist churches have chosen not to include or even to drop "Baptist" from their names.
___"Baptist" in a name brings both advantages and disadvantages to a new congregation, he acknowledged.
___On the positive side, the "Baptist" name "draws new move-ins that are Baptist," he said. Many Baptists move into a community and automatically seek out the Baptist churches, he explained. So, a visibly Baptist name will help the church attract these Baptists' attention.
___Also, an overtly Baptist name "sends a non-charismatic message," Abbott observed.
___For example, some people expect a church with "Community" instead of "Baptist" in its name to be charismatic, he related. Since the vast majority of Baptist churches do not practice charismatic worship, such as "speaking in tongues," the use of "Baptist" in the name helps define the church's worship style.
___In addition, "Baptist" may be "a sign of stability and credibility" in some communities, where Baptists are respected for their long tenure and positive ministry, he said.
___ On the other hand, a decision not to use "Baptist" in the name can offer a young church some advantages, Abbott said.
___"First, it keeps you out of the news," he stressed, referencing more than 20 years of Baptist denominational struggle that often has made national and state news.
___"I'm always getting asked, 'Where do you stand on this Baptist thing?'" he reported. This hurts the church's outreach, because "conflict in church is always viewed as bad in the eyes of the unchurched."
___Churches that decide not to use "Baptist" in their names also cater to "the general public's trend toward non-denominationalism," he said.
___They also are able to "bypass the public's 'Baptist' baggage or assumptions," he added. "Whether they are true or untrue is beside the point. It's all about the people's perception."
___And even though "most perceptions are misperceptions," a church must deal with how people see it and its affiliations, Hill said.
___In addition, use of the words "community" and "fellowship" or simply "church" makes a congregation seem more inclusive to unchurched people, Abbott stressed.
___Hill said an ethical concern helped shape his church's decision not to put "Baptist" in its name.
___"I don't want to do the sheep-stealing thing," he said, referring to churches that get most of their members from other Baptist churches.
___While it is a Baptist church, his congregation is comprised of only 20 percent of members who came from Baptist backgrounds, he said. Twice that number formerly were Catholics. And many had absolutely no church background.
___And although "Baptist" can give a church an initial boost, that might prove costly in the long run, Hill added.
___"In Texas, putting 'Baptist' in your name is the quickest way to get to 200" members, he said. "And it's the quickest way to stay at 200."
___Churches that are considering whether to use "Baptist" should ask a couple of questions, Abbott suggested.
___"What will get the best response from your target?" he asked.
___"The truth is, every church is targeting someone, whether they know it or not," he added. "A lot of churches do it by accident. They don't think about it. ... Why not be intentional and know whom you are trying to reach?"
___A church should consider the cultural and spiritual background of the people it is trying to reach and then make decisions that will help it reach them with the gospel, he said.
___And that leads to the second question to ask: "What removes the most barriers to reaching your target?" he said.
___"That's really the bottom line" of making the naming decision, he insisted. "It's not about being ashamed of being a Baptist. ... It's about effectiveness."
The Baptist Standard
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