Since moving to South Carolina I’ve been somewhat amused/bemused by the trendy names given to the new ‘community churches’. Sometimes they are just named by their local community. We have a big one here in town called ‘Brookwood’ which, I guess, is the name of the local subdivision.
It’s the ones with ‘creative’ spiritual sounding names that amuse me. I’ve spotted:
- Cornerstone
- Fresh Spring
- Living Water Fellowship
- The Heritage
- The Vineyard
- The Edge
- New Spring
At first I thought the last one was a new mattress store. This led to some creative church naming of my own. I’ve come up with:
- Hot Wings
- Hearts of Fire
- HeartBurn
- Winds of Flame
- Flame On
- Breaking Wind
- Sound of Running Water
- Chariots of Fire
- Kingdom Hall
Do readers have any other real life examples or some of their own?
Jesus People Life-Changing Church
One I’ve seen on my way into Philadelphia is “From the Heart Church Ministries” I imagine a walk around the city would find many more.
Named after the new shopping area, Firewheel Bible Fellowship. It used to be named Reinhardt Bible Church just a year ago. I guess that wasn’t trendy enough.
A local Church of God has rechristened itself “Lifebuilders Church.”
A church a few blocks from me is called “Solid Rock Wheels of Love Baptist Church” which I find very interesting.
I grew up in Neighborhood Bible Fellowship, which isn’t bad considering some of these! 🙂
We have a rather apocalyptically-oriented ecclesial community on Route 11 headed into Wytheville called “Final Destination Ministries.” There’s also Crossroads Church of Christ “Where everybody’s somebody” according to their brochure (everyone, that is, except Catholics…)
I’ve known of a conservative Presbyterian church in St. Louis, MO called, “The Fellowship of the Lamb,” and a Reformed Church in America congregation known as, “Road Home.”
“the MIX” which is spelled exactly like that. Didn’t the early Christians call their religion “The Way”? That sounds pretty trendy to my ears. Maybe this trend isn’t so new. (That doesn’t make it good though…)This makes me appreciate awesome Catholic names like “Our Lady of Perpetual Succour” or “Christ the Sovereign King and High Priest”. It’s so very un-trendy. It makes me wan to rename my parish to “Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception and Perpetual Virginity”. The youth minister would have quite the uphill battle.
While slightly off topic… I’ve seen a St. Mary’s Baptist Church before. My first reaction was, “Huh?”Back to topic… some interesting church names from my area: Creekside ChurchEcho Community ChurchGospel Light TempleHarbor Light Open Bible ChurchPathways ChurchThe Rock ChurchTodays Church
There’s a church here in St. Louis called “That New Church.” All sorts of interesting issues there…
I’ve heard of a Pio Nono Baptist Church, which I think is someplace in Georgia — it’s on Pio Nono Avenue. Also, I believe there is a Vatican Baptist Church in Vatican, Louisiana.
“Pio nono”, that’s awesome. Maybe that’s Pius IX’s punishment in purgatory – he has to be the patron of a Baptist church.
Most of that list of actual churches in Greenville sound like they could be golf courses, don’t they? Back in heavily Catholic Western New York, there was a ruckus a few years ago when a nondenom mega-church was built with a Dunkin Donuts-type store right in it. WITH a drive-thru!
Here in Franklin, TN there is “The Peoples Church” which is (or at least used to be) Southern Baptist.There’s a Heritage Community Church here, as well.We also have Faith Lutheran, Christ Lutheran and Peace Lutheran churches ’round here.None of them really hold a candle to the a name like St. Mary of the Seven Sorrows which is in downtown Nashville.
Every time we go to the movies, the 20 min. previews/ads include an invitation to DOUBLE PORTION SPIRIT MINISTRIES, INTERNATIONAL. I’m not sure why a single portion of the Holy Spirit isn’t sufficient. Maybe that’s not the spirit they’re talking about. As I sit with my large, buttered popcorn, Mike-n-Ikes and Diet Coke:), it appeals to my gluttonous temptations though. My husband always asks me what does the International mean? I tell him they’ve got to make themselves catholic somehow. When we’re on the Outer Banks, there’s MIGHTY WIND UMC. Nuff said.I saw a sign for a new HOPE OF CHRIST Presbyterian church springing up nearby and wondered if they liked the Pope’s US trip motto so much that they decided to turn it around backwards.
Best Church Name ever:I kid you not.Church of God-Zilla (Zilla, WA)Here are some others I liked:Boring Methodist Church (Boring, MD)Souls Harbor (Sheridan, WY)River of Life Warriors in Training Ministry (Ottawa, IL)Okay Christian Fellowship (Okay, OK)River of Life Full Gospel Church (is there a Half Gopel Church)Echoes From CalvaryChrist Te Llama (Christ the Llama??) -ed. yes I know it’s en espanol.-Chris M.
Our Parish in a unnamed Yankee state was called, colloquially, Our Lady of the Warehouse, commemorating the awful architecture. Anne, now in NC
“Wings of Healing Tabernacle”
There one here in Ocala, Fr. Dwight, that’s called “The Rock Family Church.” They’ve got this big sign outside their warehouse (uhh, I mean “church”) that says “Come as You are Church.” I’m guessing they really mean it, because their Sunday service consists of popcorn and a movie for the family! This is only half a mile or so from Queen of Peace Catholic Church, which is one of the most stunningly beautiful modern Catholic churches I’ve ever seen! Here’s the website: http://home.catholicweb.com/QueenOfPeaceOcala/index.cfm It has a picture of the church. God Bless!
The Victory Barn Church
There’s one near Atlanta called “The Church in the Now”
And try “Bethel Church of the Union Association of the Old Regular Baptists of Jesus Christ” near Jenkins, KY
Well, we have a couple I really like here in Oklahoma City. The first is The Lion and The Lamb, which sounds pretty good until you come across Preach Unto Them Jesus, yes, thats right, the name of the church is Preach Unto Them Jesus. Yes, I am serious and I can see you smiling from here!
“Sonrise”
A sincere Protestant said I should consider the names of Catholic churches, how they’re all named for saints and angels instead of giving glory to God. This dear woman was herself a member of “Sierra Madre Congregational Church”.
After making a wrong turn in Oakland, there were streets full of store front ecclesiastic communities with four to five words in their names. Examples were: Grace Hope First Baptist ChurchAfrican Episcopal Methodist Church of ZionTemple of Christ Savior Redeemer It was odd. But come to think of it a random name generator could produce the names. On the same note though Our Lady of … Catholic Church falls in the same mold.
Here in the Southern Tier of NY we have HIS Tabernacle Church (with its onsite coffee bar!)Faith To Face MinistrySovereign Grace Church
Here is Nashville, we had a church called St Teresa Science Holiness church. When the woman who started this church was asked if she named it after St Teresa of Avila or St Therese of Lisieux she replied, “Well both those girls were just so sweet.”
“Preach unto Them Jesus Church”…. WOW! Grammatically awkward but actually pretty awesome. I can respect a name like that.I think if I was a fundamentalist minister, my church name would be “Believe In The Lord Jesus Christ And You Will Be Saved (Acts 2:38) Church”.
There is a church on Highway 76 in Marion SC called Church of God of the Highway. I also received a photograph in the mail once from a friend who was traveling in a rural area of Maine. They passed a church or chapel called Our Lady of the Highway. There is a church on Shop Road in Columbia with a name so long it needs two little signs taped together. Hephzibah Fire Baptized Holiness Pentecostal Church of the First Born. And right here in South Carolina there is a Catholic Presbyterian Church. Yep that’s right. That’s the name.
The ones that make me giggle are names like “First Church of God in Christ.” Really?? *You’re* the first church God. In Christ. …sure ya are.
I live in a place that has plenty.Oddest Name – New Horizons Open Bible FellowshipAnd we have a lot of wineries around here so there is – Vineyard Christian Fellowship Westside and Hillsboro Vineyard Christian FellowshipIf you are a fan of South Park you can go to – South Park Unitarian Universalist FellowshipI have seen both a Morning Star Fellowship Church and Evening Star Fellowship Church
When I was teaching in Liberty, SC a woman preacher approached me after school admonishing me to remove my wedding band, as it was “vain adornment”. If I remember correctly, she was the preacher at The Overcoming Blood of Jesus on the Rock Baptist Church.
This is true:”Scum of Sinners Bible Chapel” (Denver, Colorado).I also find OTT:Golgotha Lutheran Church (somewhere in Canada).
There’s the “Progressive Church of Christ”, “First Christian Church”, “Little Zion Baptist Church” (that one’s kinda cute), “The Dream Church”, “Fresh Oil Outreach Ministry” and so many more.Some are dropping “church” from their names entirely. In Lexington Co., SC, there is “The Harvest”. It used to be the “Church of the Harvest”, but “Church” was dropped.Another is “Northside Baptist Church” was Changed to “Northside Family of Faith”. That one is especially interesting since they dropped both “Church” and “Baptist”.There are just so many. I always get a kick out of those who use “Full Gospel” in their names. I’m still looking for the “Half Full Gospel” for the optimists and the “Half Empty Gospel” for the pessimists.
We thought New Spring was a garden center… looks like a nursery!
“The Door” Oklahoma City, OK No denomination listed or even the word church.LifeChurch.Tv They actuallt say the word “dot”. Where do you go? Life Chuch dot TV. I still don’t get it.
All of these are (or in one or two cases were) in the Denver area:The Happy Church;Cherry Hills Full Gospel Center;Solomon’s Temple Baptist Church;Church on the Move;House of Joy Miracle Deliverance Church;Heritage Christian Center;Young Nak Korean Presbyterian Church; andShiloh Temple Apostolic Pentecostal Church.
My personal favorite was a church down the street from where I used to live in Evanston, Illinois, called Faith Temple Church of God in Christ. What a mouthful!
How about the “Lutheran Church of Mahomet”? It always makes me laugh when I drive through Mahomet, IL.Another one is “Lively Stones Christian Church” in Indianapolis. Saw that one on a church van the other day.
“Come Alive” ~ the Church that coordinates the East Coast activities of Creation concerts”New Beginnings””Evergreen Baptist””Restoration Life Christian Center Inc””The Wiley Church””Liberty Tabernacle Family Worship Center””Frontline Ministries” and that’s just in 10 miles or so…
How could I forget IHOP !?!
When I was in college, a friend and I created a Protestant Church Name Generator (a modification of my friend’s earlier Chinese Restaurant Name Generator application). Every time you reload the page it will come up with a new name … it’s worth a look:Protestant Church Name Generator
How about “Peculiar United Methodist Church” in Peculiar, MO?Or the “Walk on the Water Faith Church” in OSAGE BEACH, Missouri.Osage Beach isn’t far from Roach, Missouri, where they have an “Old Roach Cemetery” and a Roach Motel.There’s the “Glorious Church Outreach” in Joplin, Missouri, and “Granby Miracle Church” in Granby, Missouri. “Splitlog Baptist Church” is in Goodman, Missouri, and in Anderson, we have the “Exciting Living Word Fellowship” — guess they found “Living Word Fellowship” too boring and left. And, again in Joplin, there’s the “Journey Church”– at least they don’t think they have arrived.
Here’s a new one. It is a church currently being erected in my neighborhood. Catalyst: Church of the NazareneWhere do they come up with this stuff?
HAHA! Funny!!! But also on the cusp of being mean too!Behave yourself!-g-
I saw that someone had mentioned Victory Barn Church… which is funny..cause I used to go there. It was actually a real barn. Weird place… funny name.