Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1897-12-04
NAMES OF CHURCHES.
Customs Followed by the Dinerent De
nominations For Their Selection

Customs Followed by the Different DO
nominations For Their Selection
Reliable estimates place the num-
Der of new churches built i'll this
country at ten day. These all
have to be named. And the ques-
ton of christening them is often a
serious trouble to congregations
They are generally adopted on tho
spur of the moment by the original
members of the church, too fire.
quently without any bearing what
ever OH the work the congregation
is about to undertake.
The various denominations differ
widely in their methods of selecting
names. In the Congregational
church tho name rests entirely with
the new congregation, who meet to.
gether and adopt name by vote.
The utmost freedom of choice is adj
missihle. Generally tho 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.
In the Methodist church the name
is selected by the original parishion-
els. The name of the new church
is presented to the presiding elder
with the petition for a 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 NV tho ne"t,--7.-.i--' men u
body of persons desire to unite i'll
the organization OF Il new PreSby-
terrain church, petition to that
effect, including the name chosen,
is laid before the presbytery. If this
is acted upon favorably, II board OF
trustees is appointed by the consle
CATION to take into their hands the
care OF the church property. This
involves the immediate incorpora
ton of tho church by name.
Occasionally one will find tho
Presbyterian church named after q
Bible saint, generally i'll such cases
one of the four evangeliSts but as i
rule Presbyterian churches cithol
bear title expressive of some ont
of the Christian virtues, such as
faith or grace, or they denote 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 10
culities.
There is practically also no sys
TEN in vogue among the Baptists
Persons wishing to organize
church are called together by
chairman, and vote on the name i
taken without any Formally what
ever.
The Friends will not permit an.
but the most liberal and secula
: titles for their meeting houses, tn
reason being that to name plac
of worship after person is to pa.
that person honor, and it is one o
the strong Quaker tenets that al
Christians are deserving of equa
honor. The Disciples of Christ loo
at church titles in much the sam
way and follow substantially tn
} same rule. Lutheran churches are
T., ma II cf+nr Rihle saints
Custom and not law governs tn
\ selection OF names for Epircopo
parishes. The tendency among hig
j church men is to select names O
church saints; of broad church men
of Bible saints and Bible terms, sue
: as TRANSPORTATION, Ascension, etc
1t is the habit of the church to IT,
= to express a religious idea by tn
very title Of the editice.
In the Roman Catholic church thi
same idea is carried out with eve
increased emphasis, and, as is we
known, the church names in man
cases are elaborate and poetic. TIL
J. selection of the name is not left t
the people, but to the clergymen.
Nav Nprk Press