“Changing the Name”

Is there any value in changing the name of the Southern Baptist Convention? That debate has been raging in recent months across the convention since SBC President Bryant Wright appointed a special committee to study and report back to him regarding the issue.

I would personally be supportive of a name change, as I have repeatedly seen the negative impact of the convention’s name in our northern context. However, that is not the issue that most concerns me at this juncture. My concern is about the heart issues that lie much deeper.

Over the years, I have watched as numerous churches have changed their name in an effort to be more effective in reaching their community. A notable motive. What has made a name change effective?

I have discovered that it is not as much about the actual name as it is about the heart and focus of the congregation. If the church changes it’s name yet maintains the same attitudes and approach to ministry as before, the name change will be of little to no value. But, if the church has refocused and transformed itself to have new attitudes and direction prior to a name change, it will often find a new level of effectiveness.

My question for our convention is what is our heart condition? If our heart condition remains the same, a new name will make very little difference. However, if we are seeing a revival of evangelism, missions and the things that God has commanded in His Word, we will see His blessing on a new name.