Why do so many churches have "First" in their names?
595088
There are second, and third Baptist churches and the like, but this is all a tradition back when the first churches ever were being established in this country. Pretty soon, if a town didn't have your denominations church, it was time to plant one, making it, again, first. Nobody really cares about that anymore, and a lot of churches which are 150 years old called First Church of something, are beginning to change their names to something more relevant and meaningful to their culture. Denominational names are starting to go the same way, since the unchurched public has no idea what any particular denomination believes compared to another anyway. Something like Friendship Community Church would mean more to a person today than, for example, First Presbyterian Church.
464419
The "Church" is really the Born-Again believers in Jesus Christ who died on the Cross and was raised from the dead by the Father above.  Down thru the years, that name "Church" was transferred to a building, of which it is not.  No matter where you are on Earth, no matter what building you are in, if you (a spirit), have been recreated by asking Jesus to come into your heart and save you, then you are part of the "Church", and the Holy Spirit now lives in you, cause God don't live in buildings or boxes anymore, he lives iside of people (the Temple of God).
240777
the reason for middle names orginated with the church. A child took on its father's last name identifying its family, the first name was given (not with any special meaning) but to belong to the church a saint or religious name was used. With so many people leaving or not attending church, the meaning of a middle became lost.
397207
There are, several of them actually.  Church Universal and Triumphant and  Ramtha are the only ones I can think of off the top of my head.  Ramtha isn't the real name I think but for the life of me I can't come up with it!
270830
Yes.  It's kind of scary, actually that a church would keep such records on just about everyone, not just their members.  I went to such a place in Denver when I was looking for my birth-mother, but since I had no last name, they were unable to help.
13888
the first Pope was St. Peter (he was named by the own Jesus)(32-67)
134513
Most likely because most other Christian denominations do not name churches after Our Lady.
980076
Back then, people went by with ony one name, so Aristotle was his first and only name.  If too many people had the same name, then it was customary to add the city where they were born, or a descriptor, or the father's name, to tell them apart.
1048076
The first one because that is usually the maiden name.
699623
If there is more than one god, you are at least worshipping one.  If there is no god, you are merely wasting your own time worrying about it.  If there is one god, you are arguing about a name.  God is god.  Do you think addressing God by the "wrong name" is going to get God upset?  Or using the "wrong" rituals or prayers?  That kind of god is too petty and insecure to deserve respect.  I suspect God is more interested in your actions out in the world.  Do you try to make life better for people or do you try to make people more miserable?  Sure, we may disagree on many of the details, but essentially, we all know what's right or wrong, church teaching notwithstanding.  And ignorance cannot be sin.
881487
You mean the frist building? The church was "instituted" when Jesus gave it to the apostles. But im not sure when the first actual building was erected. Constantine might have built the first one. The first Catholic "church" would have jsut been in someones house or in a cave, before Constantine legalized the religion
319110
Because Louisiana is still what we call a "church" state....We still mark our "counties" by the different parishes of the church, or at least, thats how the got started....Its still the same as counties, just named different.
833950
I agree with you. That's why Jesus Christ established the Church which has come to be known as the Catholic Church because the Church is universal and in every part of the world.\n\nThe word "Catholic" means "universal". That's why the Church became known as the Catholic Church. And we have historical writings by the early Church fathers who use the term "Catholic" in the name of the Church as early as 110 AD.
1045139
LOL!  Hey Old Hippie,  I've never worshipped at a church that made that distinction, so I have no idea what that's about.\n\nSo I looked on the web to see how far it goes, and when I got to eighth, I was alarmed to find there is a thirty-eighth Baptist Church in Hattiesburg, MS!  (It's on 38th Avenue.)  \n\nSo the highest number was 7th. http://search.yahoo.com/search?p=%22seventh+baptist+church%22&y=Search+the+Web&ei=UTF-8&fr=my-vert-web-top&x=wrt
161509
The church that Christ started is the universal body of believers - all Christians all around the world (regardless of denomination) that have been cleansed by His healing blood. There is no one denomination that Christ started, and I doubt He would endorse any of them.
12850
Christ is not a last name--it is an honorary epithet meaning "the anointed one" in Greek (Christos). The New Testament was written in Greek, and the Gospel writers used this term to indicate that Jesus was the Messiah.
1162396
There were many religions before Christianity. Judaism is one, just the Old Testament. Other religions have multiple Gods and Goddesses. Some have none. Christianity is not the only and not the first and maybe not even the right religion.