WCG considers
denominational name change

PASADENA—Joseph Tkach, WCG president, announced at the pastors conference in Rancho Mirage, California, Aug. 13 that the church was considering changing the name of the denomination.

Many have voiced support for a name change, citing its benefits to our fellowship. In response to these requests, the church has entered into a process to consider a change in our corporate church name and to select one that would properly reflect who we have become.

Members and ministers have been suggesting for 10 years that we change the denomination’s name. In connection with this, Church Administration agreed several years ago that it would be helpful for local congregations to select local names that would better reflect their sense of purpose and mission, and 65 percent or more of U.S. congregations have already done do.

In the weeks following the Rancho Mirage conference, Joseph Tkach, Mike Feazell, WCG communications director, Dan Rogers, superintendent of U.S. ministers, and Randal Dick, superintendent of missions, discussed the background that led to the decision to seek a name change.

“Our current name tends to have the effect of hindering our ability to proclaim the gospel, because it creates another barrier for the unchurched to deal with,” Dr. Tkach said.

“Instead of readily discovering that we are a vibrant Christian renewal movement, they instead equate us with groups that have followed the tenets of Armstrongism.”

Third name for denomination

Dr. Tkach went on to say: “This would not be the first name change for our church: Herbert W. Armstrong changed it twice—once from Church of God, Seventh Day, to Radio Church of God and then to Worldwide Church of God.

“Our current name does not properly represent us for several reasons. Numerous older sources continue to address the former doctrinal errors of the WCG under that name, even though we have long since been delivered from such errors.

“In many ways, the name Worldwide Church of God is in effect ‘poisoned,’ similar to the way the German word fuehrer (leader), though innocuous in itself, is no longer usable in any normal sense because of its associations with a negative history. The negative associations with Armstrongism that are connected with the name Worldwide Church of God tend to hamper our effectiveness in proclaiming the gospel. A name change could give us a greater opportunity to tell the story of our transition.

Pastors, congregations
request name change

Superintendent of ministers Dan Rogers noted that “over the past several years, pastors and congregations have been asking that a denominational name change be considered.

“The reasons for this are many. For one, it has proven difficult for our congregations to rent meeting facilities. Many church groups are unaware of our transformation, and so have refused to rent facilities to us. Teens who have desired to attend our SEP camps have not been allowed to do so by their parents who associate our name with our past teachings and practices. 

“In many such cases, people simply turn away from us as an organization without allowing any opportunity for an explanation that we’ve changed.

 “Biblically, we have often noted that when God has transformed people and gives them a new mission, he also changes their names to reflect this. A new identity in Christ often calls for a name that accurately proclaims this new identity and mission. 

“Scripture does not hide who Peter and Paul had been, but the name change revealed to their community who they had become in Christ and how they were now to be known.

“For many in the public arena, the name Worldwide Church of God is assumed to be the church affiliated with Garner Ted Armstrong or Herbert W. Armstrong. Also, most of the church groups who separated from the Worldwide Church of God and who still maintain the teachings and practices of Armstrongism, have adopted similar names, and this often causes confusion as to our identity in the mind of the public.”

Mike Feazell, WCG communications director, said: “The Church of God (Seventh Day), for which Herbert Armstrong worked in the early 1930s before founding The Radio Church of God, interpreted a phrase from Jesus’ prayer in John 17:11 to mean that the only true church would always bear the words ‘church of God’ in its name. Mr. Armstrong carried this teaching over to The Radio Church of God, which he renamed The Worldwide Church of God in the 1960s, as a sign that his church was the one and only true church.”

Dr. Feazell added: “Today we know that all believers, regardless of church affiliation, belong to the true church, or Body of Christ. John 17:11 is not referring to registered church names or even the specific words ‘church of God.’ It is referring to protection in the Father’s name for believers, and it is set in the overall context of the believers’ unity, or oneness, with Jesus and the Father (John 17:20-23).

“Part of the confusion lay in the nearly 400-year-old King James Version translation of John 17:11, which says, ‘Holy Father, keep through thine own name those whom thou hast given me, that they may be one, as we [are].’ Better translations clarify that the verse is using ‘keep’ in the sense of protect and defend, not in the sense of what to call believers.

“In the Bible, believers are called many things, including ‘Christians,’ ‘believers,’ ‘Body of Christ,’ ‘the body,’ ‘bride of Christ,’ ‘church of the firstborn,’ ‘the church,’ ‘the churches,’ ‘God’s church,’ ‘God’s churches,’ ‘God’s household’ as well as ‘church (or churches) of God.’

“The Greek term translated “church” can also be translated with such words as ‘assembly,’ ‘meeting,’ or ‘gathering.’

“In short, there is no biblical mandate regarding a particular name that believers must call themselves or by which they must corporately register themselves.”

International areas

Randal Dick noted that throughout our history as a denomination, we have used different names for the denomination in different areas that are not always exact translations of Worldwide Church of God. In some languages the term did not translate properly, had a negative connotation or was similar to an organization with a negative reputation.

In some Spanish-speaking countries today, we use a derivative name rather than a literal translation of Worldwide Church of God. In some places it was impossible to operate as a church, and to this day, the WCG operates as Ambassador College.

Nations other than the United States have different sets of issues regarding a church name change. Dick noted the often circuitous legal process required for changing names in some countries.

“Freedom of religion is not a global blessing,” he said. “Some countries frown on Christianity in general, and some Christian countries frown on any Christian churches that aren’t state churches. We don’t want to raise any unnecessary issues with governments when changing the name.”

Therefore, international areas will be giving their special input on a name change. Church leaders are discussing the name change with members and are evaluating the best process to make such a change.

Members in all nations are encouraged to give input on a name change to their pastors, who will forward their suggestions to district superintendents. According to an announcement sent to church pastors, suggested names “should be short (no more than four words), clear and descriptive of our church;  they should be names not already being used by other churches.” Tkach added, “I believe that all the work [involved in a name change] will be well worth the fresh sense of purpose and identity that a new name will help bring us. Please join me in praying for God’s blessing in our process and final selection.”

Copyright © Grace Communion International, 2005