I must decrease

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Not only Catholics and Baptists use hagionomes (saint-names) for their churches.
Methodists, Episcopalians, Anglicans, Presbyterians, Lutherans, African
Methodist Episcopal, etc. use names of saints in their church names.  Non-
Catholic communities do, however, seem to restrict themselves to the Biblical
saints and do not extend the names to the post-Apostolic, historical saints.

I personally think that a church name should be carefully chosen and reflect
more spiritual notions about a church than the name of a saint.  Every work
for God should be dedicated to His name and glory and should not, I emphatical-
ly think, be named for any saint of God, Apostle, founder or otherwise.
Certainly, the Apostle Paul who said:

		Now this I say, that every one of you saith,
		I am of Paul; and I of Apollos; and I of
		Cephas, and I of Christ.  Is Christ divided?
		was Paul crucified for you?  or were you
		baptised in the name of Paul? (I Cor. 1.12)

would not approve of a church being named after himself or any other saint.

Just some thoughts.

All Honour to Christ Jesus.



Matthew Shaw
00mcshaw@bsu.edu