A growing number of pastors are calling upon Southern Baptists to own the name Great Commission Baptists, which we approved as an alternate designation for the SBC in 2012. I thought I’d weigh in from the perspective of a Southern Baptist historian and theologian. 1/12

This isn’t a new discussion. At various times in our history, the SBC has considered a name change. In fact, in the mid-20th century there was a time it looked like we might become the American Baptist Convention, but Northern Baptists claimed the name first. 2/12

Since the mid-20th century, the SBC has expanded into all fifty states plus Canada. We are a North American network of Baptist churches that cooperate together for the sake of missions, theological education, and Christ-centered cultural engagement. 3/12

There are a number of good reasons Southern Baptists should take this call seriously. And there is no better time than the present to have this conversation. I can think of at least six reasons why this is an important topic, though I am sure there are others. 4/12

First, though we are no longer a regional convention, we still retain a regional name. This is problematic for a number of reasons. Foremost is that our name doesn’t accurately describe us in the way it did even two generations ago. We are not a southern denomination. 5/12

Also, our regional name is at odds with our national emphasis on church planting and church revitalization. Being a Southern Baptist church in the Northeast or Pacific Northwest was not unusual during the southern migration of past generations. But now it seems odd. 6/12

Second, our denominational identity is less tied to southern culture than it once was. For better and worse, for most of our history we were almost as southern as we were Baptist. That is no longer the case, even for a growing number of our churches in the South. 7/12

Third, the regional prejudices of 1845 no longer define us. We are no longer concerned with accentuating the differences between us and Baptists in the North. We’ve repented of the role slavery played in our origins and racism has played in our subsequent history. 8/12

Fourth, the key priority from 1845 that does continue to define us is our commitment to cooperative missions. This thread is woven throughout our history and has been the glue that has held us together along the way. Southern Baptists are a missionary people. 9/12

Finally, we ought to be known by who we are, not by who we have been, even as we continue to celebrate much about our heritage. We aren’t a network of Baptist churches in the South. We are a network of North American Baptists committed to the Great Commission. 10/12

For all these reasons, I agree with those suggesting we distance ourselves from the Southern Baptist name and instead be known as Great Commission Baptists. It better describes who we have always been at our best and who we will continue to be by God’s grace. 11/12

While state conventions should retain their regional names for contextual reasons, it is time for Southern Baptists to embrace a name that better reflects our actual identity. We are Great Commission Baptists, for the glory of God and the sake of the world he so loves. 12/12