What's In a Denominational Name?

More churches are foregoing the use of their denominational name. In fact, according to a survey from the National Association of Evangelicals, most churches do not have their affiliation on their sign.
The NAE, which includes more than 40 denominations, asked members if their church signs or other publications mentioned denominational affiliation. Of those that responded, 63 percent said their churches do not list their affiliation, while 37 percent do.

That may be for a good reason. A Lifeway Research poll found the public had certain preconceptions about different denominations. For Southern Baptists specifically, 44 percent of survey respondents said knowing a church was SBC made them less likely to visit it.
Ed Stetzer points to additional research that finds potential visitors are more likely to view churches with denominations in their name as “formal, rigid, and old-fashioned.”
That same survey, however, says churches that do not have a denominational reference in their name are seen as less honest. People feel more uncertain about the church and are more likely to believe they are trying to hide what they believe.
What do you think about denominational name visibility (or lack thereof)? Does your church promote or downplay your denomination?