# SBC to become "Great Commission Baptists"



## Andres (Feb 20, 2012)

Tonight the SBC's taskforce to study the possibility of a name change released their official report. From the Baptist Press:



> The task force appointed to study a possible name change of the Southern Baptist Convention is recommending that the convention maintain its legal name but adopt an informal, non-legal name for those who want to use it: Great Commission Baptists.
> 
> The name "Southern," task force chairman Jimmy Draper said, is a barrier to the Gospel in some regions of the country. The task force was appointed by Southern Baptist Convention President Bryant Wright.
> 
> ...



You can read the entire article here. 


Growing up in Texas my whole life, I never considered "Southern" to be a bad word, but what do I know.


----------



## Edward (Feb 20, 2012)

Andres said:


> Growing up in Texas my whole life, I never considered "Southern" to be a bad word, but what do I know.



Some of us aren't offended when we are called 'Crackers' either.


----------



## Southern Presbyterian (Feb 20, 2012)

Looks like they got their "gnat strainer" out is all. Much ado about nothing.


----------



## VictorBravo (Feb 20, 2012)

Actually, up in the Northwest, "Southern Baptist" has negative connotations among many. But, I seriously doubt changing the name would help anything among the unchurched scoffers around here.

"Evangelical Christian" has about the same negative connotation as well. 

But Krispy Kreme donuts have a good reputation up here. I understand they originated in the South. Maybe the SBC should check out licensing that name from them instead.


----------



## Pergamum (Feb 21, 2012)

A body claiming universal truth ought not to have only a regional name (same goes for Roman Catholics, a contradiction in terms, since one cannot both be catholic and roman only)....


----------



## Jeffriesw (Feb 21, 2012)

Edward said:


> Andres said:
> 
> 
> > Growing up in Texas my whole life, I never considered "Southern" to be a bad word, but what do I know.
> ...









Southern Presbyterian said:


> Looks like they got their "gnat strainer" out is all. Much ado about nothing.


----------



## JS116 (Feb 21, 2012)

Sounds lame if you ask me..but then again nobody did so I'll keep out


----------



## J. Dean (Feb 21, 2012)

Here's my question: why be called the "Great Commission Baptists?" 

What's wrong with just plain ol' Baptist?


----------



## Backwoods Presbyterian (Feb 21, 2012)

Wow. That is major league lame.


----------



## Kim G (Feb 21, 2012)

I don't get why people think this is lame or no big deal. I have thought for a long time that they ought to change their name. They are not all SOUTHERN so they ought not be called Southern Baptists. Not sure about the whole "Great Commission Baptists" label instead, but I'm glad they realized that "Southern" was not a true description anymore.


----------



## Scott1 (Feb 21, 2012)

The difficulty is this will probably only serve to confuse people for a generation, and do nothing to further consciousness of biblical faith and practice.

With all its faults, the present moniker has stood for that, and against a tide of liberalism. The ignorant will always hold truth in contempt, which will be basis for their just condemnation at the end.


----------



## Backwoods Presbyterian (Feb 21, 2012)

Scott. For some reasons Christians still are shocked when unbelievers echo Nicodemus and say, "How Can These Things Be?"


----------



## Marrow Man (Feb 21, 2012)

We are agreed. Lame and confusing.


----------



## E Nomine (Feb 21, 2012)

When SBC planted a hipster-friendly church in San Francisco a couple of years ago (Epic Church), it appeared to me that they did everything they could to conceal their association with the SBC convention.


----------



## AThornquist (Feb 21, 2012)

It will be so good to be distinguished from the non-Great Commission baptists.


----------



## Marrow Man (Feb 21, 2012)

Just for the record, I was saying that the _*name*_ was lame and confusing, not Southern Baptists.

Perhaps this name isn't clear enough, though. Maybe we need more division. We could have the John 3:16 Great Commission Baptists and the Romans 9 Great Commission Baptists.

Just a thought. Thank goodness Presbyterians don't do this sort of thing. There's nothing confusing at all about the Presbyterian alphabet soup.


----------



## FenderPriest (Feb 21, 2012)

I'm not sure why it's really a to-do for people, especially those outside the SBC. I can understand why they'd want to change it, and it makes no difference to me.


----------



## CharlieJ (Feb 21, 2012)

I'm for it. "Southern Baptist" has all kinds of wrong and crazy associated with it in many places. A group's label ought to reflect what it thinks is important. By calling themselves "Great Commission" Baptists, I don't think they are trying to say that other Baptists don't care about the Great Commission; they're merely saying that the Great Commission is central to the identity.

Just like the name OPC doesn't imply that all other Presbyterians aren't Orthodox ... wait, maybe I'm wrong.


----------



## M21195 (Feb 21, 2012)

How about "The Church formerly know as the SBC" Like Prince awhile back....


----------



## R Harris (Feb 21, 2012)

AThornquist said:


> It will be so good to be distinguished from the non-Great Commission baptists.



I was thinking exactly the same thing! LOL

Soooo, if you are not a member in their denomination, you don't care about the Great Commission?


----------



## DAW (Feb 21, 2012)

Every once in a while, some Southern Baptists recommend a name change. My concern is in their premise. Do they honestly believe that keeping that name is going to thwart God's sovereign plan. How puny of man. Wasn't it King Alfred of England who stood at the beach trying to sweep back the tide with a broom?

Somehow I think that that these Southern Baptists (and other Evangelicals) put too much stock in public opinion, marketing techniques and such. The faithful preaching of God's Word produces results according to His plan. Frankly, if I was a Southern Baptist, I would not put much stock in the complaints of the Yankees. The record of the Southern Baptist Convention in matters orthodox is a lot better than their Northern brethren in the old Northern Baptist Convention, now called the American Baptist Churches.


----------



## Pergamum (Feb 21, 2012)

R Harris said:


> AThornquist said:
> 
> 
> > It will be so good to be distinguished from the non-Great Commission baptists.
> ...



If you are not a member of the Southern Baptists now, does this mean you're not Southern?

---------- Post added at 10:29 PM ---------- Previous post was at 10:28 PM ----------

Any "lame-ness" of a new name cannot be any more lame than "Southern" being in the name.


----------



## Rich Koster (Feb 21, 2012)

I hope they don't go for Sou, to keep in step with Cru.


----------



## Bill The Baptist (Feb 21, 2012)

How about we take a cue from Campus Crusade for Christ and just shorten our name to "Bap"


----------



## jwright82 (Feb 21, 2012)

Southern Baptist Identity: An Evangelical Denomination Faces the Future | Books | Crossway.

This is a great book on this subject. I recomend Baptist and non-Baptist alike read it.


----------



## AThornquist (Feb 21, 2012)

I'm a Southern Baptist and I honestly don't care much about whatever the name is. Changing the name now will just make things more complicated. But if they really want to, then so be it.


----------



## GulfCoast Presbyterian (Feb 21, 2012)

Rich Koster said:


> I hope they don't go for Sou, to keep in step with Cru.



This was EXACTLY my first thought!


----------



## PointyHaired Calvinist (Feb 21, 2012)

I say there are plenty of Presbyterian denominational names they can substitute "Baptist" for - think about it - BCUSA, BCUS, BCA, OBC, EBC, RBCNA (ok maybe not...) My wife pointed out the only problem is that they'll sound congested when they say their acronym...


----------



## bookslover (Feb 21, 2012)

If the denomination wants to change it's name, what's wrong with "Ralph?"


----------



## Backwoods Presbyterian (Feb 21, 2012)

Ralph already founded a denomination... Ralph Erskine.


----------



## DMcFadden (Feb 21, 2012)

GulfCoast Presbyterian said:


> Rich Koster said:
> 
> 
> > I hope they don't go for Sou, to keep in step with Cru.
> ...





When the ABC of the Pacific Southwest judicatory withdrew from the American Baptists a few years ago, they went with "Transformation Ministries." I assume that "fighters not lovers," "where two or three or gathered, we have at least four opinions," or even "have hairspray will travel, can I have an 'amen'?" were already taken, so the SBC went with a trendier term: Great Commission Baptists. At least they did not go the whole way and capitulate to the fad de jour and call themselves "Missional Baptists."

Just think, they could have been the "Missional Movement of Post-this, that, and the other thing, Emergent, Coolniks."


----------



## au5t1n (Feb 21, 2012)

AThornquist said:


> It will be so good to be distinguished from the non-Great Commission baptists.



This will help to sort out Baptist soteriology:

Great Commission Baptists: Arminian
Great Commandment Baptists: Liberal
Great Expectations Baptists: Pelagian

What should the Reformed Baptists be called?


----------



## GulfCoast Presbyterian (Feb 22, 2012)

austinww said:


> What should the Reformed Baptists be called?



Orthodox.


----------



## Organgrinder (Feb 24, 2012)

This is so wonderful. Now I get to tell folks that I'm theologically Reformed but that I go to a Great Commission Baptist Church. They'll all think I changed denominations and I still sit in the same pew. They will also ask, I thought you wanted to join the OPC? 

Anybody remember Bold Mission Thrust from back in the 70s when everyone in the world was to hear the Gospel by 2000? Did it work? 

So does this mean that Southern Pacific Railroad and Southern Living magazine will change their names too? What will they call Southern Gospel music?


----------



## Edward (Feb 24, 2012)

Organgrinder said:


> So does this mean that Southern Pacific Railroad and Southern Living magazine will change their names too?



What Southern Pacific Railroad? They have Union Pacific on the trains now. And Southern Living is very much a regional publication (even the Texas version doesn't have some of the good stuff you get in the deep south). Southern Gospel is also regional, so a name change wouldn't be needed there, unless the genre wanted to expand into the Seattle coffee houses.


----------



## DMcFadden (Feb 24, 2012)

*What will they call Southern Gospel music?*

Heavenly Hillbilly?
Country Christian?
Toothless Trinitarian?
Bluegrass Backslider?
Big Hair Harmonies?
Charismatic Carols?
Baptist Bluegrass?
Holiness Harmonies Homecoming?
Sweaty Spirituals?


----------



## JP Wallace (Feb 24, 2012)

austinww said:


> What should the Reformed Baptists be called?



There's already a name for them in the SBC...hypercalvinist


----------



## he beholds (Feb 24, 2012)

I think that's fine. I'd have no problem with the PCA not using "in America" in our name. It's not like the Southern part of the name is the part that is Christian--sorry to burst your bubble my southern friends. In giving an optional alternate name, they are saying that they are more than Southern, not less than Christian.


----------

