The Biblical, Historical, and Practical Reasons We Decided to Change
the Name of Our Church
Why Community Christian
Church is becoming Reformation Bible Church in 2015
December 14, 2014
Brothers and sisters,
Last week the elders decided
unanimously to change the name of our congregation to Reformation Bible Church at the beginning of 2015. This decision
was not made hastily. It was preceded by extensive conversations, research, and
prayer over more than a year and a half. Reasons for and against changing the
name were carefully considered. The history, legacy, and emotion attached to
the name Community Christian Church
were carefully weighed. With the addition
of the 4 new Elders, the topic was discussed and they were given the
opportunity to ask questions, provide input, and express any concerns. After much internal dialogue, all of the
elders agreed now is the appropriate time for the name change. We want you to
understand the reasons we came to this decision and to join us in prayer for
God’s blessing on this transition.
Our congregation has been through
tremendous transformation in the last two years. Jack Martin’s resignation
after twenty-five years as the Senior Pastor was only the first in a series of
events that led to considerable changes. The church we have today is not the
church we had when Jack left. It is not the same congregation that called Joel
to serve as the Senior Pastor. It is not even the same congregation with which
we started 2014. God has done amazing things over the last year. There has been
reformation and revival in our congregation, and though many have left, many
others have come and united with us as we work and worship together to the
glory of God. There are many reasons for changing the name of the church at
this time, but we want to share the three most important ones with you.
First,
there is a biblical reason. Our current name identifies us with a religious
movement we no longer belong to and with a theology we do not accept or
support. Some have been
confused by discussion of the name change, thinking we are ashamed of the name Christian or that we no longer wish to
be identified simply as followers of Christ. Nothing could be further from the
truth. This church was originally started as an Independent Christian Church,
part of the Restoration Movement which began in the 19th century and
the undenominational sect often referred to as Churches of Christ. We are happy
to be called Christians, but we do
not want to be confused with the Christian
Church Churches. Those churches teach a form of baptismal regeneration,
that a person is not saved unless and until they are immersed in water as a
believer. We do not believe the Scriptures teach this. The New Testament is
clear we are saved by “faith apart from works” (Rom. 3:28), not by faith plus
works. Our beliefs, practice, and trajectory are not consistent with the
Restoration Movement and the Christian Church/Churches of Christ; therefore,
our name should reflect the distinction between us and that movement.
Second,
there is a historical reason. We want a name identifying our commitment to the
history, theology, and philosophy of the Reformation. Theoretically all Protestants have in
common a commitment to the five solas
of the Reformation, but the reality is often otherwise. Many churches today
have abandoned commitment to scripture alone or to the doctrine of salvation by
grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone. Our new name, Reformation Bible Church, identifies us
as a congregation committed to the authority of Scripture and to the history
and theology of the Reformation. We agree with men like Martin Luther, John
Calvin, and Ulrich Zwingli that the Church must continually be reminded of its
need to examine its practices in the light of Scripture and to be called to
reformation and repentance.
Third,
there are practical reasons. Changing our name reflects the significant changes
that have occurred in the last year and a half. This is a new era for our
congregation. The church that once existed is no more. Our community needs to
be aware of the transition that has taken place. Though some are displeased by
the new teaching and direction, many others rejoice in the revival that is
occurring. Changing the name at the beginning of the year signals to the
community the end of an old era and the birth of a new Church, a church that is
not yours or his or hers or even theirs, but a church that belongs to the Lord.
We know many of you will have
questions, and we would be happy to discuss this decision and the reasons for
it with you further. All of us as elders are responsible for the leadership of
this church, and we made this decision together after much prayer and study. We
are available for questions and conversation, and we look forward to moving
through this next stage of transition and growth together. On Wednesday,
December 17th, we will have an open forum for questions and answers
from our members in the Fellowship Hall at 5:45pm. We are committed to open,
transparent leadership, so we want to provide plenty of opportunities both
privately and publicly for your questions and further discussion.
We are thankful for what God has done
and for what He continues to do in our congregation, and we are excited about
what lies ahead. May the Lord bless you. We are praying for you, and we thank
God for your prayers on our behalf. May the grace of our Lord, the love of
Christ, and the comfort of the Holy Spirit be with us all.
