On Tuesday, June 19^th, at the 2012 Annual Meeting of the Southern Baptist Convention, Messengers voted by about 53% to 47% to allow SBC Churches and Entities to use an “Official Descriptor” (Great Commission Baptists) as an alternative to the name, “Southern Baptist.” This decision has been a really “hot” topic among those who care about such things.

The original idea of officially changing the name of our denomination proved to be practically unworkable and terribly expensive, so the idea of having an alternate descriptor became the change of choice. SBC Churches are (of course) autonomous and we can call our church whatever we please, but this gives us the option of how we refer to the denomination.

Let me be clear… I would be very much in favor of changing the regional “Southern” in our denominational name. While I believe it is a good name in the Southeastern US where most of our present churches exist, it is a problem outside of that geographical area. It also carries a lot of cultural baggage that makes our witness more difficult in many places.

BUT, we all need to recognize that just changing a name does not change us! My one great issue with being called “Great Commission Baptists” is this: is that statement true? Are we really devoted to, and participating in, the Great Commission?

Most SBC or GCB (if you prefer) churches are somewhat involved in the Great Commission through our support of our Local and State Associations and the Cooperative Program. But the vast majority of our churches are not very much involved in the Great Commission within our own local area.

So, if all that “Great Commission Baptists” amounts to is a more user-friendly name, it will be (as Will Shakespeare says in “Romeo and Juliet) just “a rose by any other name.” If we, the members of SBC churches, do not get personally and sacrificially involved in reaching the lost around us; whatever name by which we are known will be just that: a name.

I don’t care if we, (or anyone else) calls us “Southern Baptists” or “Great Commission Baptists.” What we must care about is obeying the command of Jesus Christ to, “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” Matthew 28:19-20 (ESV)