The person who nominated this name wrote:
‘Yarra’ immediately associates the church with its history of 170+ years. It locates us with a river that flows for 240 km and is identifiably Australian. The translation of ‘flowing water’ is appropriate – a suitable graphic representation of this can be easily developed. It is short. It is an appropriate choice when no other name resonates.
We have moved away from the word Yarra in our liturgy, it’s technically the wrong name for the river. Yarra a misappropriation of Wurundjeri word.
Water symbolism- connecting places and people, while being a specific geographic river- does two jobs
Retaining the word Yarra (and deleting South) maintains a link to our liturgical and theological reputation.
And less of a change for us to get used to
Although, sometimes smaller changes are harder to get used to. I think that if the new name was Yarra, I’d be more likely to slip back into saying “South Yarra” than I would if it was a completely different name.
Too tied to a place, and confusing because it is not entirely clear what place it refers to.
I’ve never been convinced by the argument that this name signals a recognisable link to our past and so makes clear that we are the same church. I really don’t think anyone outside would hear the name and immediately assume that it was us with a slightly different name; I think most would be more likely to think it was a new church in the City of Yarra – Richmond/Collingwood/Fitzroy.
I don’t think Council names are that well recognised by those outside of the municipality
Both specificity and generalness in the name’s geography- from a language indigenous to where the church was, associated with many places in Victoria, yet a general term that could be used for flowing rivers/waterfalls anywhere.
With this name, we can go from being Sickies to being Ickies! The Icky Baptist Church!! No not really, because we are dropping the C of community. But perhaps we could put “Online” before Baptist and be the Yobs! Or even Yarra Open Baptist Online and be Yobos!
I don’t think simply removing the word South from South Yarra immediately associates Yarra with our history of 170+ years or maintains a link to our liturgical and theological reputation. Simply retaining the word Yarra doesn’t feel like us to me.
The word YARRA conjures up too many feelings, biases and misunderstandings.