NASHVILLE, Tn., (KNOE 8 News) - Southern Baptists have decided to keep the primary portion of the group's name.
A panel for the Southern Baptist Convention panel is recommending a new, add-on description for the denomination, though it wouldn't be a legal name change.
It would be "Great Commission Baptists." Officials described it as a way to give an official sanctioned identity to affiliated churches and believers who don't want to use the term "Southern."
SBC President Bryant Wright, has expressed concern that the "Southern" name is too regional and hinders the faith's effort to expand.
The panel rejected a complete name change, citing the legal costs and difficulties. They also noted the positive associations, such as its disaster relief organization, that many relate to the Southern Baptist name,
