Name Change Vote FAQ

Dear MPBC Member,

Your Board of Deacons (BOD) is excited to announce that we are ready to proceed with a congregational vote regarding removing the word “Baptist” from the name of the church. Below you will find Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) that outline why we are having the vote and the voting process. The voting period is scheduled to begin on November 11, 2024, and will be open for two weeks. The goal is to allow as many church members as possible to have a say in this critical decision in the life of the church. Therefore, the BOD has approved a new voting process that includes both electronic and paper ballots. 

Please review the attached FAQ. If you have any questions, please reach out to any of the Deacons.

Name Change Vote FAQs

Why are we considering changing our church name?

The topic of changing our church name goes back decades. The continuing conservative evolution of the Southern Baptist Convention has widened the gulf between the majority of Baptist churches and our church. We know for a fact that our name has prevented prospective new members from visiting our church. This was confirmed by the 2019 Church Identity project in which we engaged an outside consultant to help us discern how potential new members perceived our church. We learned that upon visiting our church, most of them liked us, our progressive theology, and our worship, but almost all of them said they would never have visited our church because of our Baptist name. Nationally, church membership has fallen dramatically in the last 20 years and alarmingly so in the past 5 years. In 2000, over 70% of Americans attended church. Now it’s less than 45% and continuing to fall. It is imperative that our church remove any roadblocks to people who might consider joining our church. 

Our recent church survey and the work of our Name Change Committee confirm that the majority of our members agree with this and feel it is time to select a new church name that does not include the word “Baptist.” In the last two years, the Committee has conducted multiple listening sessions and received dozens of emails and phone calls from members expressing their positions. In the formal survey earlier this year, two thirds of our members indicated they were in favor of removing the word “Baptist” from the church name. We are now ready to conduct a formal Congregational vote.

It is important to note that should the Congregation vote to change our name, that is all that will change. It will not affect our church affiliations, our Covenant, our governance, or our dedication to Baptist principles. We will continue to teach new members about our proud Baptist heritage and live out that heritage in our ongoing church life.

Will a name change affect the church’s legal status?

Church counsel has informed us that the name change does not affect our legal status. 

Where are we in the overall process of changing our name?

We are about to complete the first part of a two-part process described below.

Step 1: A survey was performed in the spring of 2024 to determine the level of support for a new to-be-determined name that does not include the word “Baptist.” The results of the survey were that over 65% agreed with removing the word “Baptist” from the church name. The question was raised to the Board of Deacons at the August meeting and 95% of the deacons present at the meeting supported removing the word “Baptist” from the church name. The Board of Deacons then approved having a congregational vote on the issue. Now, all members will have an opportunity to vote.

Step 2:  If the congregation approves removing the word “Baptist” from the church name, Step 2 will be initiated.  A survey will be submitted to the congregation to determine support for a specific new church name. The names on the survey will be ones that have been suggested by church members and have received support either through the 2022 informal email survey or in the 10+ listening sessions conducted by the Name Change Committee over the past year. A new name will require Board of Deacons and Congregational approval.

How and when will the Congregation vote on Step 1 of the name change process?

Our goal is to get the best participation possible with a Congregational vote, therefore, the Board of Deacons approved instituting a new process of both electronic and paper ballots to be conducted over a two-week period starting November 11, 2024. The deacons also voted to have a threshold of 60% or greater given the significance of the issue. Voting options will include both electronic and paper-based methods. The voting process will be as follows: 

• Church members, as of October 21, 2024, who have an email address listed in our membership database will receive a ballot via email on November 11, 2024. If multiple members share an email address, a paper ballot will be sent to the mailing address on file along with a voting email. One member can vote via email and the other will need to vote via a paper ballot. If more than one member needs a paper ballot, please contact the church office for another paper ballot.
• Church members, as of October 21, 2024, who do not have an email address on file in the church records will receive a paper ballot on the week of November 11, 2024.
• The question in both ballots will be, “Should Myers Park Baptist Church adopt a new to-be-determined church name that does not include the word “Baptist?” The responses will be “Yes” or “No.”
• Members with an email address on file will receive an email ballot with the sender listed as labeled from Myers Park Baptist church on November 11, 2024. If you do not get the email ballot on November 11 in your primary email inbox, please check your Spam folder. If you don’t see the email in either folder, please call the church office to request a paper ballot that can be picked up in the church office or mailed to you.
• The voting process is being conducted through voting software from Election Buddy. Each email will have a unique link for the email recipient. You should click on the link to vote. You will need to then click the submit button to process the vote. If the submission is successful, the sender will get a confirmation email from Election Buddy Elections. If you have any issues with the email ballot, please contact If you prefer a paper ballot, please contact the church office.
• Members without an email address on file will receive a paper ballot on the week of November 11. Upon completion of the paper ballot, please return it to the church office by mail or in person. A paper ballot drop box will be stationed in Heaton Hall Foyer near the entrance to the church offices. All paper ballots must be signed to be counted.
• Youth members in grades 6-12 can vote in person at the church during youth events, pick up a ballot in the church office, or request a ballot be mailed to them. The paper ballot must be signed to be counted.
• Even though we are offering two ways to vote, only one vote will be counted per member.
• Voting will end on November 25, 2024. All ballots must be received by the end of the day on November 25 to be counted.

What happens next?

Watch for updates in The Weekly! Details will be announced in The Weekly and during worship. Should the vote pass, we will move on to Step 2 as described above. It is important to note that we are not committed to a specific timeline to complete the name change process. It is more important that we follow the process within a timeline that is comfortable for the Congregation and fits with our overall church calendar. 

Also be aware that should the Congregation approve a specific new name at the end of our process, we will not necessarily change our name immediately. We will make the change as is appropriate and in coordination with other major church activities such as developing and implementing our forthcoming new strategic plan. 

What will it cost to change our name?

There will be costs associated with our name change, primarily related to changes in signage and online activities. The current estimate should not exceed $20,000 but it could be much less. We believe the return will be well worth the investment in the form of increased membership.

What has been the experience at other churches that have changed their names?

Many other Baptist churches nationwide have changed their name for the same reason we are considering it. (One local example is Pritchard Church in South End). In addition, newly formed evangelical churches are dropping “Baptist” or not including Baptist in their name because of concerns about the affiliation with the Southern Baptist Convention. We have not done a formal survey, but during our informal research and discussions, we have not talked to or read about a single church that regrets having made the decision. This gives us confidence that we are on the right path.