Time to stop talking and start action on the SBC name change

[William Thornton]

[Haruo]

I was amused to read that (speaking as just I did of protected classes and endangered species in the homophobe thread) the SBC is accorded special grandfathered-in status under the laws of Georgia, status that would be endangered and in all probability lost if the name were changed.

FBC is a horrible choice, as it impinges on the abbreviational turf of every First Baptist Church (including the ABC and GARBC ones) in the world, whereas SBC only trespasses against Second Baptist Church, which is a much rarer bird. Not even to mention the implication that the rest of our associations are fellowships of Baptist something elses.

[Stephen Fox]

Same as it ever was and they Ought to Own It

[Stephen Fox]

http://fromlaw2grace.com/2011/09/27/sbc ... deafening/

And in my comment there I bemoan his lack of perspective.

[Stephen Fox]

[Stephen Fox]

[Gene Scarborough]

The name "Baptist" has been more impuned over the last years since 1979 than "Southern."

If they acted nice, maybe people would still respect them---since they don't nothing will really help.

[Tim Bonney]

William,

I've been reading your blog. Do you see any advantage to a name change? I have no opinion. And if I did it sure wouldn't matter to anyone that counts.

[Sandy]

[Dave Roberts]

The danger I see to abandoning the SBC name is that in Dixie there are still those who feel that "Southern" denotes a moral superiority perpetuating the "Lost Cause Myth." That historical perspective has risen in the past when name changes were suggested, and it made a big splast back in the 1960's after a joint meeting of American and Southern Baptists and even talk of reunification. Methodists and Presbyterians managed it, but Southern Baptists resisted then, not in the name of theology but in the name of the "lost cause." Try the idea on any of the Sons of Confederate Veterans or Daughters of the Confederacy in the deep south.

[Big Daddy Weaver]

I highly doubt there will be a name-change even a D/B/A change. And if there is - I seriously doubt it catches on. Shoot, my cousin was employed by the IMB for a couple of years and my WMU grandma (lifelong Richmond resident) never stopped calling it the Foreign Mission Board. She did a little better with Lifeway but sometimes she'd refer to it as the Baptist Book Store before correcting herself. Actually, she probably did a bit better with the IMB than with NAMB. She never got that one right.

Change the name, it will take years for the name-change to really stick.

If the SBC thinks they got an image problem, spend some money on a re-branding campaign.

People who already hold a negative attitude toward to the SBC will not be outsmarted with the name change. Why not just try to rebrand and change the image with the hope that future generations won't hold the same negative attitude.

All in all, the SBC is still a predominantly southern denomination, with like 89% of Southern Baptists and 83% of Southern Baptist churches located in the South.

[Gene Scarborough]

As long as we have idiots like Mohler and Land speaking their "truths" in the name of Southern Baptists, no name change will help it to be honored.

I remember back in the 50-60's when we proudly said, "Southern Baptist Church." It stood for a serious evangelistic effort / literature which was honest and becoming more so in SS classes / a serious attempt to get rid of racism / sending out good vibes to other denominations that we were partners with them in sharing the Gospel.

Sadly, all that has changed----for the worse---in this hate political environment and people loving their riches more than their neighbor.

[William Thornton]

[William Thornton]

I've never seen any of this, Dave, and I don't hear much clamor to retain 'Southern' for CSA, Southern pride reasons.

SBC is still heavily, heavily southern. I did the stats on my blog: fact is that 82% of SBC churches and 86% of SBC members are in fifteen southern states: AL, AR, FL, GA, KY, LA, MS, MO, NC, OK, SC, TN, TX, VA, WV

Those who say we're not southern any longer mean that we have churches all over. True enough and a point that has been made for about two generations.

I'm not sure a name change can be shepherded through two conventions.

[Big Daddy Weaver]

[Gene Scarborough]

Look----

In the 1980's I was part of a Partnership Evengelism effort with the NY BSC. I was assigned to the Binghamton area called the Southern Tier Association which went across the NY/PENN border with Binghamton being the eastern most church at Lincoln Avenue.

When Partnership Evenaglism was presented, it was as if there were no Christians north of the Mason-Dixon line. Roman Catholics would "certainly" not qualify!

Upon arrivial there, I found churches of all denominations. The Lincoln Avenue church was the largest---only because IBM was headquartered there at the time and many southerners found their church home at LIncolnton. At the time they had reorganized IBM and opened a main office point in Texas. Many southerners had taken positions there and the church had just begun a significant building program---now at a halt for lack of members.

To be blunt, we Southern Baptists were considered a fring (almost cult) group by the citizens of Binghamton and surrounding areas. No churches outside LIncoln Avenue were more than a struggling mission with HMB-supported pastors of inferior abilities and education. The churches with real substance and meaning to that part of NY were Lutheren / UMC / Roman Catholic / Presbyterian as far as I could tell.

It was hardly a place of only "heathen" yankees! What a bunch of baloney were were pumping as if Southern Baptists were "called" to evangelize the nation to the north and west. My conclusion was: we would be better to mind our christian business in the south where we condoned bigotry and had the largest churches and organs in most any town with the American flag on one side of the front and the Christian one on the other--with a number board reporting how many were in SS that day / how big was the building fund / how much was given in SS offering.

Gimme a break---PLEASE!!!

[Dave Roberts]

Some of the Southern glorification is here in VA with lots of folks vying for attention in the 150th anniversary of the Civil War. Unlike Bruce's careful study of the real Civil War, there are those who are still glorying in the "lost cause" and the myths of moral superiority that was supposed to exist alongside war materials inferiority. I have a neighbor who opens his garage door every day with his Confederate Battle Flag displayed. BTW, he claims to be a Baptist.

[Gene Scarborough]

Make my desctiption of the church front above include a Confederate Flag tucked in the vestibule table---just in case some black folks come to worship!!!!

[Tim Bonney]

William, that would be my take on any denomination name change for most denominations. It might help with some folks but substatially it is a marketting thing rather than a substance thing. That doesn't mean it is bad. It just has limited effect.

[Blake]

[Gene Scarborough]

To me it would be far better to change the SBC arrogant and hateful attitude over just making a name change so stupid people will forget and start padding the offering plate once more!!!

[KeithE]

Well some action may be taken soon. My wife who is a SBC church secretary/financial keeper got word of this last week and with all that was going on she did not tell me until just now. I googled and came up with this Wash Post article about a Nashville Panel recommendation today.

. Churches who do not want the regional flavor in the name or some of the negatives to the denomination can use "Great Commission Baptist"; those that want the historic connection can keep the SBC name. Legal problems can be avoided by keeping the SBC part, or so they say.

Executive Committee to discuss tomorrow (Tuesday).

[Ed Pettibone]

Ed: Seems they are implying that only they are Great Commission Baptist. More SBC arrogance

[Haruo]

[Gene Scarborough]

The real Great Commission was: "Love one another as God loves us."

Their definition will still be: "Go and do as we tell you from Nashville."

Who would want to join up if they knew the hate and fighting and requirements for lock step conformity from the mega church mind now running the SBC?

A change of attitude is far more important than a change of name. It would be totally unnecessary if they had just started such a convention of Baptist churches and done as CBF finally did----If you can't get along, start something new---don't take away that which was established and paid for with cooperative giving for many a year.

I wish them well. It will be interesting to see what kind of fight breaks out over this new track.