Audubon County journal. (Exira, Iowa) 1884-1993, 1897-11-04
NAMES OF CHURCHES.

NAMES OF CHURCHES.
Customs Followed by the Different De-
nominations For Their Selection.
Reliable estimates place the num-
Der of new churches built in this
country at ten day. These all
have to be named. And the cues
ton of christening them is often
serious trouble to congregations.
They are generally adopted on the
spur of the moment by the original
members of the church, too fire.
quently without any bearing what
ever on the work the congregation
is about to undertake. +.
The various denominations differs
widely in their methods of selectings
names. In the Congregational
church the name rests entirely withy
the new congregation, who meet to-
gether and adopt name by vote
The utmost freedom of choice is adj !.
missible. Generally the name is de-
termined by the location, though
sometimes the name of Bible saint
is adopted. The congregation may
empower the board of trustees to Sc
lect name. Z
In the Methodist church the name
is selected by the original parishion-
ers. The name of the new church
is presented to the presiding elder
with the petition for pastor.
Methodists name their churches for
saints, localities, order of establish
ment or as memorials.
Among Presbyterians the selec-.
ton of the name of new church is
made by the congregation. When
body of persons desire to unite in
the organization of a new Presby-
terrain church, petition to that
effect, including the name chosen,
is laid before the presbytery. If this
is acted upon favorably, board Of
trustees is appointed by the congre-
cation to take into their hands the
care of the church property. This
involves the immediate inoorpora-
ton of the church by name.
Occasionally one will find the
Presbyterian church named after a
Bible saint, generally in such cases
one of the four evangelists, but as
rule Presbyterian churches either
bear title expressive of some one
of the Christian virtues, such as
faith or grace, or they den ote the
location of the building.
The Unitarians proceed along
much the same lines as do the Meth
odists in the naming of churches.
We have, for example, the Church
of the Saviour, Church of the Mes
siah, All Souls, First, Second, ETC.,
Unity and the various names of To-
calities.
There is practically also no sys-
tenn in vogue among the Baptists.
Persons wishing to organize
church are called together by
chairman, and vote on the name is
taken without any formality what
ever.
The Friends will not permit any
but the most liberal and secular
titles for their meeting houses, the
reason being that to name place
of worship after person is to pay
that person honor, and it is one of
the strong Quaker tenets that all
Christians are deserving of equal
honor. The Disciples of Christ look
at church titles in much the same
way and follow substantially the
same rule. Lutheran churches are,
as rule, named after Bible saints.
Custom and not law governs the
selection Of names for Episcopal
parishes. The tendency among high
church men is to select names of
church saints; of broad church men,
of Bible saints and Bible terms, such
as TRANSPORTATION, Ascension, etc.
1t is the habit of the church to try
to express religious idea by the
very title of the edifice.
In the Roman Catholic church this
came idea is carried out with even
increased emphasis, and, as is well
known, the church names in many
cases are elaborate and poetic. The
selection Of the name is not left to
the people, but to the clergymen.-
New York Press.