Things to Consider When Naming a Congregation
February 14, 2012
https://www.uua.org/interconnections/192675.shtml
Sodano’s group picked the name Harmony, a Unitarian Universalist Church. “We wanted to get on the radar of church shoppers, so we went with a modern one-word name,” she says. Other names considered were “Discovery” and “Beacon.”
Sodano says the word “church” as part of the name both helps and hurts. “It helped give us legitimacy when we were having to rent space from others. It has probably hurt us with our more atheist/humanist-leaning visitors. I’m sure there are people who drive by and think that we’re not for them because we’re a ‘church.’ We thought about adding a line to our sign, ‘Atheists welcome, and we really mean it.’”
“A name means a lot,” she adds. “Your church could be a vibrant, friendly, contemporary liberal community, but if it is named something people don’t connect with they won’t come.”
According to numbers submitted through February 2011, there are 1,046 congregations within the Unitarian Universalist Association, including the Church of the Larger Fellowship. An analysis shows that the vast majority are named for geographic locations. Most are cities and towns, but there are also congregations named for counties, valleys, mountain peaks, and ocean bays. A few are named for broader regions––Piedmont, prairie, mountain ranges, foothills, seashores, deserts, and forests.
Of those with names not tied to geography, at least two appear to be named for flowers: Columbine UU Church in Colorado and Wildflower Church in Texas. Around 30 are named for people––Starr King, Emerson, Thoreau, May, Throop, Goodloe, Jefferson, Channing, Davies, Murray, Follen, Parker, Servetus, Eliot, Dix, Pullman, Atkinson, Paine, Priestley, Cooper, Reeb, and Brown.
Twenty-two congregations use All Souls as part of their name. The oldest congregation with that name is the Unitarian Church of All Souls in New York City, founded in 1819. With more than 1,000 members, it is one of the UUA’s largest congregations. In the past decade three congregations have taken the All Souls appellation.
A small number of congregations have taken names that evoke more than geography. Some express inclusiveness. There is “Tapestry, a UU Congregation,” in California, and “Mosaic UU Congregation,” in Florida. There are several that use “Open Circle” or “Circle” as part of their name. Several use “People’s Church” and there are a couple that use “Free Church.” Other congregations have adopted religious imagery. There is a “Chalice UU Congregation” in California, plus at least one that includes “Spirit of Life” in its name. There is also an “Epiphany Community Church” (a Christian UU congregation).
Of the total 1,046, 752 congregations use both Unitarian and Universalist as part of their name, 161 just use Unitarian, 58 only use Universalist, and 75 use neither. As for church, 473 use that identifier, compared to 271 fellowships, 142 congregations, and 102 societies.
The newest UU congregations have tended to stick with geography when choosing names. Of the 64 new congregations welcomed into the UUA between 2000 and
February 2011, 47 chose names that tie them to a specific city or region. The benefit in that is that including a city’s name instantly tells a seeker where the congregation is located. Another ten or so chose spiritual, inspirational, or aspirational names, such as Harmony UU Church, New Hope Congregation, WellSprings Congregation, UU Peace Fellowship, Open Circle UU Fellowship, Pathways Church, Gaia Community.
Current Church Name and Mission (from Bylaws)
ARTICLE I ‑ Name, Mission, Participation and Denominational Affiliation
I.1 ‑ Name. The name of this religious organization is Thomas Jefferson Memorial Church – Unitarian Universalist (hereinafter referred to as “Church”).
I.2 ‑ Mission. Thomas Jefferson Memorial Church – Unitarian Universalist is a church of the liberal tradition rooted in the heritage of Unitarian Universalism and dedicated to the belief that in every individual there are extraordinary possibilities. WE ARE committed to the individual and collective pursuit of spiritual growth, social justice, and life‑long religious education and understanding. WE FOSTER an open and free community in which we share our gifts, care for one another, and honor our differences. WE SEEK to have a lasting influence on local, national and global programs that promote equity and end oppression.
I.3 – Inclusivity and Nondiscrimination. This Church is intentionally nondiscriminatory. Therefore, in its activities and practices, this Church welcomes and promotes the full participation of all persons of whatever race, ethnicity, creed, gender, ability and/or disability, affectional or sexual orientation, gender identification, age (except as limited by legal membership rules), economic status, or origin.
I.4 ‑ Self‑Government. The Church is a self-governing body whose final authority is vested in the members of the congregation acting through a congregational meeting.
I.5 ‑ Affiliations. This Church belongs to and supports the Unitarian Universalist Association.