Choosing Coram Deo

Decision, decisions. Of all the decisions that come with planting a church, one of the first decisions a church planter must make is to name the church. Depending on the network, core team, or sending church, the choice could come sooner than later. In my case with SendNC (Send Network cooperation with NC Baptists), choosing a name came early in our planting process. To have a record of my church naming philosophy, I put mine in print: here.

I selected “Coram Deo Baptist Church” as the name for the new church plant launching in the spring of 2025. The phrase coram Deo is Latin and means “before the face of God.” It is used in Psalm 56:13, “For you have delivered my soul from death, yes, my feet from falling, that I may walk before God [coram Deo] in the light of life.”

In this short article, I’d like to share a few reasons I selected such a name. But first, let me share a little information on the name along with the other churches and ministries that share it.

What does the phrase coram Deo mean?

The phrase was popularized during the Protestant Reformation. Leaders such as Martin Luther made good use of the phrase as they argued for the life changing power of the gospel. Jesus saves, the Spirit transforms, as God himself has “caused us to be born again.” (1 Pt. 1:3) Therefore, the Christian life is always to be lived coram Deo, before the face of God.

More recently R.C. Sproul and Ligonier ministries have brought the phrase into contemporary light among more Reformed circles. In both video formats and in print, Sproul has rightly argued coram Deo to be the “big idea of Christianity.” Further, Burk Parsons, editor of Ligonier’s Tabletalk Magazine, uses the phrase as the title for his introductory articles to the monthly publication and as a teaching device throughout daily devotions.

Are there any other churches, schools or organizations that share the name?

 To my knowledge there are five other churches named Coram Deo, with some including ‘Baptist’ and ‘Bible’ in their name.

The pastor is Bob Thune. After exchanging a few emails with him, I had the opportunity to speak with Bob over the phone on July 9, 2024. He was very kind, and graciously availed much of his time to field my questions. When I asked him, “Why did you select the name?” He said, “Simply put, I wanted a name that would be a conversation-starter and that would feel different than ‘XYZ Community Church.’ I also wanted a name that reinforced a theological / missional aspect of our ministry.”

There are few para-church ministries under the name “Coram Deo”

  • In Denver, there is a prayer ministry using the web address: coramdeodenver.org
  • In Phoenix, AZ there is a ministry called “Disciples Nations Alliance” using the web address: coramdeo.com
  • There is also a “Coram Deo Association of Churches” in Holland, MI.: coramdeoassociation.org
  • There is a newly launched bi-annual Coram Deo Pastor’s Conference held every other year at Christ Covenant Church in Matthews, NC.
  • There is a Coram Deo Academy based in Plano, TX using the website: coramdeoacademy.org

What were your reasons for selecting “Coram Deo” as the name for the church plant?

  1. Vision for the Christian Life | Coram Deo casts a vision for the Christian life. Christ owns all of the Christian, “every square inch,” to quote a Kuyperian phrase. We must not compartmentalize our lives, but offer it all, even down to our dishwashing.
  2. Gospel Conversations | Coram Deo offers an opportunity to explain the gospel. Baked into the name is the idea of how someone can live in the presence of God. Only through the gospel of Christ can people live openly before their Creator, having been declared righteous by grace through faith.
  3. Family Support | Coram Deo is supported by my wife and our three children. We want church planting to be a family endeavor, a group effort. To have them onboard is near priceless. Our children will remember these days, and we pray, make disciples more fervently because of them.
  4. Authentic Appeal | Coram Deo appeals to historic, biblical Christianity. Many have become disenchanted with the status quo of ministry in traditionalistic Baptist churches and attend nowhere because of it. They long for something genuine, which Coram Deo Baptist Church would seek to provide—a Christian community appealing to the historic, biblical “faith once for all delivered to the saints.” (Jude 3)
  5. Blank Slate | Coram Deo is unlike any other church name in the area. There will be no preconceived cultural ideas for how the church should feel or function. The words “Community” and “Creek” are numbered among many local churches. In a sense that provides a clean canvas in our context. We get, therefore, an opportunity to create culture from the start without the pressure of borrowing from others.
  6. Un(de)churched Interest | Coram Deo piques the interest of many across the religious spectrum, including Catholic and post-Christian cultures. People are moving to Angier from all over the country. Most of them have little to no Christian background, and if they do it’s Catholic. The Latin Coram Deo may appeal to them, and provide them something that is different from the cultural Christian artifacts that pepper many southern towns like Angier. That difference could be a gospel advantage.
  7. First Fairview | Coram Deo marks the beginning of my relationship with Fairview Baptist Church. In March of 2024 I had the privilege of traveling to Charlotte with two of their elders, Joseph Lanier and Mike Healan. Together we attended the inaugural “Coram Deo Pastor’s Conference.” That time together sparked the relationship that we enjoy today. Albeit sentimental, there is a coram Deo connection we share from these early days that we trust were of the Lord.

So that’s it. How I chose “Coram Deo” for our church plant. There are lots of decisions to come for sure. However I am glad this one has been made. I’d love to hear your thoughts, and if I can help your church’s name selection, please reach out.

In the months to come we will launch our church landing page at “coramdeobaptist.com.” We have purchased the URL and are working on the site now. Until then, stay up to date via our newsletter (at nealthornton.com) and pray for our church planting journey whenever the Lord brings us to mind.