Why a Name Change? By Dr. Bill Lewis

Written for the March 2005

Georgia State Association of FWB Promotional Bulletin

In Genesis 17:5 while reassuring Abram of God’s covenant, God said, “No longer shall your name be called Abram (i.e., exalted father), but your name shall be Abraham (i.e., father of a multitude). In Genesis 32:28 after Jacob’s wrestling match with God, God said, “Your name shall no longer be Jacob (i.e., supplanter), but Israel (i.e., he who strives with God). At critical times in their lives, God changed the names of Abram and Jacob to provide an object lesson for each of the men and to help establish a vision for their and their descendants’ futures. There is a time in each life when some event marks a change of direction or a refocusing on that which is important. It helps to have a daily reminder of that event and the new direction the event generates. A new name can often provide that daily reminder.

It is precisely such an event that brought about the change in the name of the work in Valdosta. No viable work existed in this fast growing area. Valdosta is an ideal place to begin a mission to meet the spiritual needs of the 25,000 new people each decade that move into the area. Property and a building were made available to the Mission Board in which a work could begin. The building and property were the facilities in which a faltering Free Will Baptist church had been meeting. Attempting to revitalize the existing work did not seem to be feasible. The work in Valdosta needed a new vision, a new direction, and a new image.

Therefore, the Mission Board charged me with the task of building a new work in Valdosta; they did not charge me with the task of revitalizing an existing work. The change in name was the first step in establishing a vision for a work dedicated to reaching out to those who do not know Jesus or who do not have a church home in the community. The new name reminds us of the new beginning God has granted Free Will Baptists in Valdosta and establishes a hope for tomorrow.

The new name, Open Door Fellowship, is taken from the letter to the Philadelphia church in John’s revelation. In Revelation 3:8 Jesus directs John to write, “I know your deeds. Behold, I have put before you an open door which no one can shut, because you have a little power, and have kept My word, and have not denied My name.” I believe that the “open door” provided to the church at Philadelphia was the opportunity for evangelism. I believe that same open door has been miraculously provided for Free Will Baptists in Valdosta.