CHICAGO, IL (July 20, 2007) \u2013 Resurrection Covenant Church is the second Evangelical Covenant Church congregation this year to change its name in order to further its mission.
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\nIn April, a Covenant News Service online story detailed a decision by Orchard Covenant Church in Indian Orchard, Massachusetts, to change its name from the Evangelical Covenant Church of Indian Orchard.<\/p>\n
Resurrection Covenant changed from Cuyler Covenant to address confusion over the church\u2019s location and to reflect revitalization work in the congregation.<\/p>\n
Nancy Ebner, pastor of Orchard Covenant, explained in April that the congregation made the change because the word \u201cevangelical\u201d had developed a negative image among many people and that it had become too associated with politics. The congregation feared that retaining the name hindered its evangelism efforts.<\/p>\n
The church retained the word Covenant because members are committed to the denomination and its shared mission, Ebner said.<\/p>\n
Many Covenant churches \u2013 and the denomination \u2013 have changed names on more than one occasion. The denomination most recently changed its name in 1982 from Evangelical Covenant Church of America. Previous changes included dropping the word Swedish as the denomination expanded.<\/p>\n
John Wenrich, director of congregational vitality for the Department of Church Growth and Evangelism, notes that “In the Scriptures, God sometimes changes a person’s name to reflect a new identity and mission.\u201d<\/p>\n