The Southern Baptist Convention, which is the nation’s largest Protestant denomination, is giving serious thought to changing its name in order to better reach people for Jesus Christ.
But changing a 166-year-old name that 16 million members reportedly identify with is expected to spark some heated debate. Emotions were already high when SBC President Bryant Wright placed the proposal on the table on Monday.
A presidential task force has been set up to study a possible name change.
Wright explained that the denomination’s name poses some barriers, especially in church planting efforts, noting that it’s “so regional,” as reported by Baptist Press.
“[A] name change could position us to maximize our effectiveness in reaching North America for Jesus Christ in the 21st century,” he stated.