The full name of our church is St. John the Beloved. We also call ourselves “St. John” for short. What’s the reasoning behind such an unexpected name for a young, urban church plant?

It’s Unique

Church names follow the trends of their time. You can determine when any given church was established based on their name. A name like St. John the Beloved is not on trend (yet), and this was one factor that drew us to choosing a name like this. It immediately stands out.

It’s Ancient

It’s a very old tradition to name congregations after a particular saint. In choosing our name we wanted to communicate an appreciation for Christian history and an understanding that we are connected to the body of Christ which spans the ages. We embrace the best of Christian tradition and history.

It’s Whimsical

While we embrace our heritage, we aren’t afraid to laugh at ourselves and our own foibles. A length name like “St John the Beloved” is meant to be whimsical. We never want to take ourselves so seriously that we can’t have fun. As we jest, St. John is the patron saint of fun.

It’s Universal

When you hear a name like “St. John the Beloved” it’s not immediately clear whether it’s a Catholic, Orthodox, Anglican, Lutheran, or some other church. Church names typically fit within a denominationally accepted list of names. We want to break outside the mold of our own tradition. Neither is “St. John the Beloved” easily associated with a particular country, place, or time. Though we are a local church in a place and time, we are part of a worldwide, multicultural, multinational, body which exists from age to age. Though we are Presbyterian and Reformed, our first desire is to preach and follow Jesus Christ who is too big to fit into any human tradition.

It’s Personal

In John’s gospel he refers to himself as “the disciple whom Jesus loved”. This is set in contrast to Peter. Peter understood himself as the faithful and strong disciple. Peter said: “Lord, even if they all deny you, I will never deny you.” Peter had a self confidence that proved to be unfounded. Peter needed to be humbled. John, on the other hand, came to understand himself not as “John the faithful” or “John the strong” or even “John the humble”. Instead, he is simply the disciple whom Jesus loved. John’s identity was found in his savior’s love for him. We want to establish our own identity not on anything we do, but on the heart of Jesus for us.