Dear Bethany family,
With the Covenant Partner delineation/bifurcation behind us {if you haven't submitted this yet, do your best to do so as soon as possible... it would help us out so much! Thank you! - https://www.bethanydallasec.org/covenant-partner.html [password: "covenant4020"]}, we can now take the first steps on this long trek up the mountain of the LORD. It's exciting yet also fearful at the same time with the possible unknowns that may lie ahead. But take heart! This is the LORD's church! He leads the way, and all we do is follow, amen?
The first trail to conquer is establishing a formal name for the new church community. For 28 years, we have been known as "Bethany English Ministry" or "Bethany English Congregation." If you think about it carefully, it is quite odd to still call ourselves "English" while we reside in the most English-spoken nation of the world - the United States and Texas in particular. So more recently, I have just labeled us as "Bethany Presbyterian Church." However, now heading towards being incorporated as a new church community, we will either need to keep the same name (if desired) - Bethany - or change it entirely to distinguish ourselves from the Korean church.
If we keep the name Bethany - it will have to be another variation that cannot match the same name as our Korean church - The Bethany Korean Presbyterian Church of Dallas. So keep this in mind. If desiring the same name, we can't be "Korean Presbyterian Church of Dallas" at the end or the article "The" at the beginning. It would have to be, for example, just to name a few:
- Example #1: Bethany Community Church
- Example #2: Bethany Covenant Presbyterian Church
- Example #3: Bethany Bible Chapel
- Example #4: Bethany Church of Carrollton
- ... many more possible variations!
However, we are also free to change our name altogether. Although we love the name "Bethany" - the town where Jesus spent a lot of time in, a town that means "House for the afflicted" or "House for the poor" - where many were cared for on their way to Jerusalem, this name could also be an anomaly or hard to understand for those we desire to reach outside the Christian bubble.
We want to give you all the chance to prayerfully contribute a name that the Spirit of God may put on your heart. We will gather all the ideas for a future name through this poll. Then, the Servant-Leadership team will prayerfully choose 3-4 options for a final vote.
- *This Poll to collect general ideas for a future name will close on Easter Sunday, 4/9.
- *After gathering all the ideas from the poll, the Servant-Leadership team will present 3-4 final options for a name, and vote to secure one name by 4/22 (Saturday). The official name of our church will be announced on 4/23 (Sunday).
Prayerfully,
Your Brother & Pastor Chester
With the Covenant Partner delineation/bifurcation behind us {if you haven't submitted this yet, do your best to do so as soon as possible... it would help us out so much! Thank you! - https://www.bethanydallasec.org/covenant-partner.html [password: "covenant4020"]}, we can now take the first steps on this long trek up the mountain of the LORD. It's exciting yet also fearful at the same time with the possible unknowns that may lie ahead. But take heart! This is the LORD's church! He leads the way, and all we do is follow, amen?
The first trail to conquer is establishing a formal name for the new church community. For 28 years, we have been known as "Bethany English Ministry" or "Bethany English Congregation." If you think about it carefully, it is quite odd to still call ourselves "English" while we reside in the most English-spoken nation of the world - the United States and Texas in particular. So more recently, I have just labeled us as "Bethany Presbyterian Church." However, now heading towards being incorporated as a new church community, we will either need to keep the same name (if desired) - Bethany - or change it entirely to distinguish ourselves from the Korean church.
If we keep the name Bethany - it will have to be another variation that cannot match the same name as our Korean church - The Bethany Korean Presbyterian Church of Dallas. So keep this in mind. If desiring the same name, we can't be "Korean Presbyterian Church of Dallas" at the end or the article "The" at the beginning. It would have to be, for example, just to name a few:
- Example #1: Bethany Community Church
- Example #2: Bethany Covenant Presbyterian Church
- Example #3: Bethany Bible Chapel
- Example #4: Bethany Church of Carrollton
- ... many more possible variations!
However, we are also free to change our name altogether. Although we love the name "Bethany" - the town where Jesus spent a lot of time in, a town that means "House for the afflicted" or "House for the poor" - where many were cared for on their way to Jerusalem, this name could also be an anomaly or hard to understand for those we desire to reach outside the Christian bubble.
We want to give you all the chance to prayerfully contribute a name that the Spirit of God may put on your heart. We will gather all the ideas for a future name through this poll. Then, the Servant-Leadership team will prayerfully choose 3-4 options for a final vote.
- *This Poll to collect general ideas for a future name will close on Easter Sunday, 4/9.
- *After gathering all the ideas from the poll, the Servant-Leadership team will present 3-4 final options for a name, and vote to secure one name by 4/22 (Saturday). The official name of our church will be announced on 4/23 (Sunday).
Prayerfully,
Your Brother & Pastor Chester