# Church names



## Somerset (Jul 14, 2012)

I notice that many of you worship at the "First Baptist" or "Second Presbyterian" church. I've never come across this over here: our local Baptist churches, for example, are called Arnold, Daybrook and Sherwood Rise, the areas in which they are located. I assumed that it reflected the constant moving that characterises the USA, probably a mistaken notion on my part. I discussed this with one of our recent guests, who didn't know why you do it, he also said he has never come across a number greater than two. Why do churches not name themselves by suburb? Historically does a congregation call itself "Baptist Church Anytown" and amend it to First when it becomes necessary to divide, or do they start with "First" in expectation of growth? Does anyone know of a number greater than Two?


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## Backwoods Presbyterian (Jul 14, 2012)

Probably the most famous "multiple" number Presbyterian church is 10th Presbyterian in Philadelphia. In Pittsburgh there is up to 7 numbered Presbyterian churches.


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## Wayne (Jul 14, 2012)

Some of that is just initial impression, Ken. (though there might be a paper awaiting a proper analysis of the subject).

In conservative Presbyterian circles, the names Covenant and Westminster are popular. Names can also indicate theological associations : New Life Presbyterian, Redeemer, etc. (though this can also be misleading). The PCA has few churches named after John Calvin or John Knox (maybe one of each). And yes, churches are named after suburbs and townships: Gwynedd Valley OPC and Chesterfield PCA come to mind.

You can also find some humorous or curious names if you start looking:
The Greater Little Chapel of the Church of Jesus Christ in God [a church in San Francisco]
Straight Street Baptist


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## bookslover (Jul 14, 2012)

This is one of my pet peeves. I think Christian churches should have specifically, explicitly Christian names. "First Baptist Church" or "Melrose Avenue Presbyterian Church" just don't cut the mustard, in my opinion. There is a church in Pasadena, California, called "House of Prayer for all Nations Church." This name might go too far the _other_ way, but at least they've got the right idea.


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## JoannaV (Jul 14, 2012)

Richmond has a sixth baptist church. It is interesting when you see higher numbers. I would assume that a numbered church had some relation to a specific lower-numbered church when it started, but I don't know. There are plenty of churches named after areas too.


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## bookslover (Jul 14, 2012)

Wayne said:


> Straight Street Baptist



Wayne, I'm just going to assume that this church is also in San Francisco. It is, as they say, "too good to check."


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## Unoriginalname (Jul 14, 2012)

Backwoods Presbyterian said:


> Probably the most famous "multiple" number Presbyterian church is 10th Presbyterian in Philadelphia. In Pittsburgh there is up to 7 numbered Presbyterian churches.


As a side note one of my hobbies is trying to find the Presbyterian churches 1-9 in Philadelphia. I believe I have spotted 2 and 7.


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## Marrow Man (Jul 14, 2012)

There is a 4th Presbyterian Church (PC(USA)) here, but I don't think there is a 2nd or 3rd. I'm not even sure there's a 1st.

The trend thing in newer churches is for the name to sound like a suburb name. So you have churches with names like Castle Pointe Church or something like that. Not a criticism, just an observation, although I do think some of those names will sound "dated" in a generation or so. Names like "Ebenezer" sounded dated to our ears though, I suppose.


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## Edward (Jul 14, 2012)

There is a 4th Presbyterian in Bethesda, MD (EPC) and another in Greenville, SC. (PCUSA). According to my search engine, there are a number of other 4ths. And dealing with non-Christians, there is a Third Church of Christ Scientist in Dallas. 

As far as geographical names, the largest Southern Baptist church in town was named after the locale where it started; it's not only moved twice to other areas, it is now on it's 3rd city and second county.


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## Marrow Man (Jul 14, 2012)

One of the strangest church names in the world is a Roman Catholic Church in Orlando, FL: *Mary, Queen of the Universe*. I'm not kidding. I would post a link, but there are 2nd Commandment violations. You can, however, Google it and see for yourself (the church name, that is).


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## reaganmarsh (Jul 14, 2012)

In the SBC world, in times past, it was not uncommon for churches to split over various issues (some more worthy than others). In one area of Mississippi that I'm familiar with, one may find the Ebenezer Baptist, Second Ebenezer Baptist, and Third Ebenezer Baptist churches. 

Our church's name is Beacon. I'm not entirely sure how the name was finally picked, but the people now refer to it in light of Christ's words in the Sermon on the Mount, that "a city set upon a hill cannot be hidden." We were a split (47 years ago) from another church in town; that church had decided to stop supporting foreign missions, and our people wouldn't stand for it. I'm glad that we didn't wind up as a "Second"... ;-)


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## thbslawson (Jul 15, 2012)

I remember seeing "First, Second Zion Baptist Church Number Three" in New Orleans as a kid. Still trying to get my math straight on that one.


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## Herald (Jul 15, 2012)

I'm lobbying for "1/2 Baptist Church."


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## Backwoods Presbyterian (Jul 15, 2012)

I'm on the opposite side of the spectrum from Mr. Bookslover. I am not a fan of adjective and adverb named churches. I think the name of the neighborhood/town/street speaks more to what a church really represents, the gathered body of believers from a certain geographical area. As I am wont to say Paul wrote his letter to the Church at Rome, not to the "Faith Community Church" at Rome.


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## Backwoods Presbyterian (Jul 15, 2012)

Unoriginalname said:


> Backwoods Presbyterian said:
> 
> 
> > Probably the most famous "multiple" number Presbyterian church is 10th Presbyterian in Philadelphia. In Pittsburgh there is up to 7 numbered Presbyterian churches.
> ...




2nd and 7th no longer exist, but 1st, 3rd, 4th, 5th, and 6th are all still active. 1st and 3rd are conservative PC(USA) churches, 5th and 6th very liberal PC(USA), and 4th is EPC.


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## Jack K (Jul 15, 2012)

Backwoods Presbyterian said:


> I'm on the opposite side of the spectrum from Mr. Bookslover. I am not a fan of adjective and adverb named churches. I think the name of the neighborhood/town/street speaks more to what a church really represents, the gathered body of believers from a certain geographical area. As I am wont to say Paul wrote his letter to the Church at Rome, not to the "Faith Community Church" at Rome.



I've always thought this is where the habit of giving churches numbers came from. Rather than honor some person or quality, it's simply the church in that city with "first," "second," "third" and so on used as necessary distinctions. I don't have any evidence that this was the original way of thinking. Just always thought it must be why.

And something about it sounds good to me.


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## Unoriginalname (Jul 15, 2012)

Backwoods Presbyterian said:


> 2nd and 7th no longer exist, but 1st, 3rd, 4th, 5th, and 6th are all still active. 1st and 3rd are conservative PC(USA) churches, 5th and 6th very liberal PC(USA), and 4th is EPC.


I checked a map and I thought 1 Presb was called seventh for some reason. I have no idea where I got the number 2 from.


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## Backwoods Presbyterian (Jul 15, 2012)

Unoriginalname said:


> Backwoods Presbyterian said:
> 
> 
> > 2nd and 7th no longer exist, but 1st, 3rd, 4th, 5th, and 6th are all still active. 1st and 3rd are conservative PC(USA) churches, 5th and 6th very liberal PC(USA), and 4th is EPC.
> ...



I was referring to the Pittsburgh numbered churches just as a point of clarification.


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## Backwoods Presbyterian (Jul 15, 2012)

Jack K said:


> Backwoods Presbyterian said:
> 
> 
> > I'm on the opposite side of the spectrum from Mr. Bookslover. I am not a fan of adjective and adverb named churches. I think the name of the neighborhood/town/street speaks more to what a church really represents, the gathered body of believers from a certain geographical area. As I am wont to say Paul wrote his letter to the Church at Rome, not to the "Faith Community Church" at Rome.
> ...



That is my understanding as to where the practice of numbering churches came from. I know that was the case in Portsmouth, Ohio at least if not everywhere.


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## GulfCoast Presbyterian (Jul 15, 2012)

There are actually two "First Baptist Churches" in Moss Point, MS, almost across the street from each other. There is First Baptist Church SBC, which is mostly caucasian, and First Baptist Church, which is mostly African-American. I always thought it was most odd (and kind of sad) for there to be "two" FBC's within 200 yards of each other.


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## Jack K (Jul 15, 2012)

My town, too, has both a First Baptist and a First Southern Baptist. The plain Frist Baptist came first. But I suppose at some point a Southern Baptist came to town, surveyed the landscape, and decided that any Baptist that wasn't SBC didn't count.

It's constantly confusing.


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## NaphtaliPress (Jul 15, 2012)

Here is a comment or two from an early 19th century NY Episcopalian about the practice of naming churches, with digs at his Presbyterian friends, of which he was spiritually closer than the high, and high handed, Episcopal bishop of the day, *Hobart. 

June 1, 1821. "At 1 o'clock the foundation of a new Episcopal Church is to be laid, near the State prison, by the Bishop agreeably to the rites & ceremonies of our Church. It is to be names St Lukes. The practice of naming Churches after the Evangelists, Apostles and godly persons, identifies the building, & place whenever mentioned. In Roman Catholic times some abuses might have taken place, and the Protestants of the Presbyterian Churches abstained from the practice. The consequence is that their Churches, in cities, are called after the names of their pastors, **Doctor Masons Church, Dr Romeyns Church, or from the Streets, Murray Street, Cedar Street Churches, which is awkward."_ Letters from John Pintard_, 4 vols. (New York Historical Society: 1940-41) 2.48.​
July 29, 1818. "The present incumbent in Wall Street Church (these Presbyterians are so afraid of Saints that they are obliged to name their Churches after Streets) Mr Whelply ...." 1.135​
*Hobart caused the Presbyterians much grief in NY and Pintard was embarrassed by him. After the bishop's death, Pintard commented on an accolade in a biography that had just come out: "To believe Dr. B. there never was such a man as Bp. H, 'nor shall we look upon his like again.' Never, please God."
**The informal usage aside, I prefer place, street, number, etc. and Presbyterians didn't fear saints, humor notwithstanding, and custom aside, if any reason I'm sure avoiding any even appearance of superstition was the original).


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## jwithnell (Jul 15, 2012)

I suspect the English naming convention comes out of the Parish system? 

Sometimes the numbering here came out of an effort to distinguish churches when an additional one was necessary for practical reasons: I heard a pastor of a 2nd Presbyterian church explain that the original congregation did not want to make the ferry man work on the sabbath transporting half the congregation across the river.


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## Pilgrim (Jul 16, 2012)

There was a Third Presbyterian Church on Esplanade in New Orleans. It is now defunct. I haven't been that way recently and don't know what, if anything, has been done with the building. You used to be able to see the sign and the top of the building from the interstate. 

I don't know what happened to Second Pres, assuming there was one. First Pres (where B.M. Palmer served for many years) is a liberal "More Light" congregation.


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## Pilgrim (Jul 16, 2012)

There are also many churches in the USA that are named after the area in which they are located. This number greatly outnumbers First, Second, etc. (Outside of large cities, finding a Second Church and so on is rare. There is often a First Baptist, Presbyterian or Methodist with other churches having different names.) But today it seems that most newer church names have to do with some quality or concept like "Faith" "Grace," "Mars Hill," "Fellowship" etc.


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## H G Stoker (Jul 16, 2012)

Our congregations are over three hundred years old so we have gone over a few church naming phases. The first of course is the mother congregation of the region when it was an settler outpost, then as the congregations grew we started naming the churches following physical characteristics such as straw-roof or tower. Thereafter the names were given as compass directions, north, east, south, west. Later as suburbs were developed we started naming new congregations after new suburbs. Lately the trend is naming new congregations after geographic features such as shelter cove or eagles crag etc. However everyone still belongs to the same denomination. The newest denominations use charismatic names.


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## Bill The Baptist (Jul 16, 2012)

Marrow Man said:


> One of the strangest church names in the world is a Roman Catholic Church in Orlando, FL: *Mary, Queen of the Universe*. I'm not kidding. I would post a link, but there are 2nd Commandment violations. You can, however, Google it and see for yourself (the church name, that is).



There is an RC church in New York named after St. Thomas Aquinas. That is not the unusual part, the unusual part is that they have a huge statue in front of the church of Jesus on the cross with his arm around Thomas Aquinas. You can't make this stuff up.


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## Edward (Jul 16, 2012)

Pilgrim said:


> I don't know what happened to Second Pres, assuming there was one.



A quick internet search indicates that Second German Presbyterian church became Claiborne Avenue Presbyterian Church, then Claiborne Presbyterian when it moved off the Avenue, and finally Peace Presbyterian. I can't find a current webpage, and I'm not sure that it survived Katrina. Peace Presbyterian Church, New Orleans, LA.




Pilgrim said:


> First Pres... is a liberal "More Light" congregation.



The good news is that it looks like it's down to about 47 members.


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## Rangerus (Jul 16, 2012)

and what's up with the Fifth Third Bank in Cincinnati?


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## Backwoods Presbyterian (Jul 16, 2012)

> The Fifth Third name
> Fifth Third's unusual name is the result of the June 1, 1908 merger of Third National Bank and Fifth National Bank, to become the Fifth Third National Bank of Cincinnati. While Third National was the senior partner, the merger took place during a period when prohibitionist ideas were gaining popularity, it is legend that "Fifth Third" was better than "Third Fifth," which could be construed as a reference to three "fifths" of alcohol. The name went through several changes over the years until, on March 24, 1969, it was changed to Fifth Third Bank



Fifth Third Bank - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia


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## Wayne (Jul 16, 2012)

Barbecue Presbyterian church, in Harnett county, North Carolina.


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## C. M. Sheffield (Jul 17, 2012)

Rangerus said:


> and what's up with the Fifth Third Bank in Cincinnati?



BOTTOM LINE: If your bank's name is an improper fraction, you AINT gitten' my money!


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## C. M. Sheffield (Jul 18, 2012)

On a more serious note, I love the way the old Baptist (and most all separatist) churches named themselves *The Church of Christ at (insert name of town or geographical location)*. This was how Keach and Gill referred to their church: _the Church of Christ at Horsely-down._ Of course today "Church of Christ" has been adulterated by the Cambelites but the usage is so biblical, simple, and beautiful that I could almost use it anyway.


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## Marrow Man (Jul 18, 2012)

Backwoods Presbyterian said:


> I'm on the opposite side of the spectrum from Mr. Bookslover. I am not a fan of adjective and adverb named churches. I think the name of the neighborhood/town/street speaks more to what a church really represents, the gathered body of believers from a certain geographical area. As I am wont to say Paul wrote his letter to the Church at Rome, not to the "Faith Community Church" at Rome.



And the Church of Christ agrees with you!


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## reaganmarsh (Jul 21, 2012)

That's what NC is famous for!  



Wayne said:


> Barbecue Presbyterian church, in Harnett county, North Carolina.


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