Why are churches named " First"?

Question

There are First Baptist, First Methodist First Church, etc when there are so many first how can the next be a First

Answer 1

Our town is small, but the same thing happens in neighborhoods and communities of larger towns, also. Around here, the 'First Baptist Church' can actually say that they were the first Baptist Church in town, so they took the name 'First' simply because they traced back to having either deacons, ministers, etc., that were part of the first meeting to spread the Baptist faith in the area (Circuit Riders or Circuit preachers are what they were called). They would go baptizing, spreading the belief system, and established meeting places for the Baptists before the churches were built, usually in public places or in private homes. The Second Baptist Church could have gotten the name the same way. I actually am a descendant of 4 different Baptist Circuit Preachers from the area I live in.
As an example of this numbering, please refer to an outside reference that I looked up randomly on the internet to back the point (I live in Tennessee, but chose First United Methodist Church in Austin, Texas, for outside example):
http://www.fumcaustin.org/aboutus/history.html
Hope this helps!

Answer 2

The first congregation of any denomination that establish a building in a town can be called the First. That is why there can be a First Baptist and a First Methodist, because of the denomination.

Answer 3

It seems that only Christian Scientists are willing to give their churches names with ordinals greater that first. It does seem that a church name like "The Last Church of Jesus Christ" would give folks a greater sense of religious immediacy.

Answer 4

Good question, I don't believe in following any religion just Christ. Religions are man made, and wars were faught over them, it just leaves me with a bad taste in my mouth when I think of the French Inquisition,(this is just an example) but how can any religion justify their bloody deeds. I'd rather live according to Jesus' way, we were almost there in the 60's but who listens to teenagers, we were accused of being hippies, because we let our hair grow long and didn't particularly agree with drafting young men 16 and up to war and so on, we started a sort of unheard revolution and started to question our governments in our search to understand, we had all sorts of labels put on us, but I believe most of us are still living, and the world of working for a living has changed our views but most of us haven't changed our hearts, we were just children, and Jesus said that we must be as children if we are to inherit.

Answer 5

Well.............. do you want to go to the Last Baptist Church?

Answer 6

Because there is no naming convention -- any church can name itself "first".

Answer 7

would You want to put Your money in the third national bank ? how about Your soul ?

Answer 8

it;s always better to be first than last.