In an article a few weeks ago,

I explored the subject of "church names." Since that time, people

from all over the country have sent me the names of churches that they

find unusual or interesting.

For example, In Sarasota, Fla.,

there was a new group calling itself "The First Non-Judgmental Church."

Somebody must have pointed out the glaring contradiction, because they

soon changed it. Obviously, to identify one's church as being the very

first one to be non-judgmental, means judging all other churches for the

last 2,000 years to be judgmental!

Cal Beverly, the publisher

of this newspaper, noted that "I have personally passed beside the

Kaolin Baptist Church in Sandersville, Ga." Kaolin, a kind of white

clay, is a mineral mined in the area and a contributor to the area's economic

prosperity. So, yes, there is a church named after dirt.

Or, how about the Macedonia

Baptist Church, located within a stone's throw of the "Greater Macedonia

Baptist Church," in Houston, Texas? Think there's a story behind

those two names?

One reader said, "When

I grew up in Chicago there was a "Dike Dutch Reformed Church of South

Holland" (a suburb five miles south of the Chicago city limits).

Another reader said, "I knew of a church in Chicago when I lived

there in the '80s called, The Church Without a Spot or Wrinkle. I didn't

join it so it could stay that way."

Another wrote, "When visiting

Oklahoma City, Okla., years ago, I was looking in the Yellow Pages church

section and found one that intrigued me called The World Headquarters

of the Church of God WHHPWHOB, Inc. Curiosity got the best of me so I

called the number listed and spoke with the Chief Apostle, who informed

me, 'That is the Church of God Which He Hath Purchased With His Own Blood,

Inc!'"

In Jacksonville, Fla., there

is a Harmony Separate Baptist Church. How's that for an oxymoron?

There's also The Church of

the Living God the Pillar and Ground of the Truth, a name so long that

you never can finish reading it if you're doing the 40 mph speed limit

down the road it's on.

In Fort Lauderdale, we find

Committed to the Cause Ministries, Jerusalem Bound Holiness Church, Church

of Christ Holiness unto the Lord Deliverance Temple, Little Church by

the Wayside for Jesus, and the Lord's Prison & Street Ministry Healing

& Deliverance.

Jump Off Baptist Church is

near Sewanee, Tenn., and On Fire Church is near Murphy, N.C. Ever heard

of St. Mary's in the Moonlight? It's a small Episcopal church on an Indian

reservation in the Four Corners area where Arizona, Colorado, Utah and

New Mexico meet.

In Latin America, there's John

3:16 Church, Everything Is Possible Church of God, Sea of Galilee Church,

Door of Heaven Church, and Christian Brothers United in the Road Church.

In Nigeria, there's Resurrection & Life Church, Be Ready Church, Anglican

Pentecostal, Christ Arrival International, Christ Internal Redemption

of Souls Church, and Broken Promise (of Satan) Church. (Yikes! What a

name!)

In Kansas City, there are a

number of interesting names, including: Church of Excitement, Church Alive,

Full Faith Church of Love, Greater Metropolitan Spiritual Church of God

in Christ, Refreshing Water Worship Center, Kansas City Revival Generation

Church, Victory Way of the Most High God Church, Church Rock of Gibraltor

(sic), and Christ's Church of the Jesus Hour.

In Michigan, there's the Detroit

World Outreach Church, the Detroit Church of Christ, and the Detroit Laestadian

Congregation none of which are actually in Detroit.

And, of course, there are those

churches whose names do NOT indicate the road on which they are located:

Cherry Hill Baptist Church, on North Gulley, Grand River Baptist, on 6

Mile Road, State Street United Methodist Church which is nowhere near

State Street, and Main Street Baptist, on Morton Taylor Road.

A reader wrote, "The strangest

name for a church I have seen is Weeping Mary's Baptist Church, just of

U.S. 601 South in Kershaw County, S.C."

Somewhere in South Georgia,

heading from Vidalia over toward Lumber City, there is a sign which reads:

"Welcome All God's People to the Church of the Reviving Tabernacle

of the Church of Jesus Christ on Earth, Inc."

There is a Church on The Way,

a Church in The Now, and a Cathedral of Tomorrow. A number of churches

have the words, "tabernacle," "temple," or "cathedral"

in their names. Yet, strictly speaking, a tabernacle is a tent, a temple

is a place of sacrifice, and there can't be a cathedral unless there is

also a bishop present.

But here's my personal favorites:

There is a Meansville Baptist Church in Meansville, Ga., and a Demonsville

Baptist Church in (I think) Alabama. Question: When the Baptists from

Demonsville and Meansville get together, does all hell break loose?

[Father David Epps is rector

of Christ the King Charismatic Episcopal Church in the Coweta/Fayette

County area of south metro Atlanta. He may be contacted at [email protected]

or at www.ctkcec.org.]