A name is more than just a designator. In the mystical and esoteric traditions, a name symbolizes the inherent nature of something. So in 2006, when United Church of Religious Science changed our name to United Centers for Spiritual Living, the new moniker reflected a fundamental shift in the nature of the organization.
The leaders of United Church of Religious Science, founded by Ernest Holmes in 1953, discussed changing our name for more than a decade before we finally did so. Although “Religious Science” was the term Holmes coined for his philosophy, by the mid-1990s that phrase wasn't particularly meaningful to newcomers to our philosophy, and was frequently confused with Christian Science or Scientology, neither of which are related to Religious Science. We spent more time explaining who we weren't than who we were.
A Change in the Conversation
Our nature as an organization was changing, also. Although we continue to teach the Science of Mind™ philosophy, our member churches were moving away from discussing religion and toward embracing a spirituality that honored all paths to God. In 2000, United Church of Religious Science adopted the expansive Global Heart Vision, which added a new dimension to the intellectually-based philosophy. We recognized that people wanted spiritual tools to transform their personal lives, while also seeking a broader definition of spirituality and greater relevance of their spiritual principles to world conditions and situations. That's the core of the Global Heart Vision.
It also became clear that a growing segment of the population was looking for communities of like-minded people. The word “church” actually deterred congregants, however, due to negative associations with old religious paradigms, so we began looking for a more accurate descriptor. Several of our member churches adopted the name “Center for Spiritual Living” with great success. After months of discussion and a series of regional meetings with ministers and other constituents, we changed our name to United Centers for Spiritual Living in 2006.
Identity Transition
The transition did not come without resistance, however. Many of our long-time members with a passion for tradition feared that the change would weaken the organization's legitimacy by removing the word “Science” from the title. There was some sadness in knowing that we were releasing our denominational name, but we also had great satisfaction in knowing that we were reaching a broader audience.
In order to effectively educate the public about our new identity, we hired Brand Solutions, a consulting firm from Seattle. Brand Solutions conducted research among four constituent groups, identified our audience, and assisted us in developing a comprehensive identity that reflected the evolving nature of our organization. The creation of a brand package included a new logo, phrases that resonated with the target market, images that accurately portrayed the feeling of the new identity, and a plan to help member “churches” tie into the power of the national identity.
Unintended Consequences
The process of creating a new identity had far reaching implications and unintended consequences, however. Shortly after starting work with us, another Religious Science organization, Religious Science International (RSI), hired Brand Solutions. RSI and United Church of Religious Science were sister organizations that grew out of an organizational split in 1954. Although the two organizations had been making efforts to reunite in a process we call “integration,” the results of RSI's work with Brand Solutions showed that the two organizations shared a common identity and facilitated the integration process. “If you put one brand identity map over the other, they're basically identical,” recalls Chuck Pettis, president of Brand Solutions. Brand Solutions recommended that RSI change its name to International Centers for Spiritual Living, which they did in 2008.
Testing Effectiveness
In order to test the effectiveness of our new, identical brand identities, United Centers for Spiritual Living and International Centers for Spiritual Living set up a test marketing group consisting of 12 centers who were willing to be pioneers of the branding process. These communities all changed their names to “Center for Spiritual Living,” adopted the common logo, and used the phrases and images suggested in a Brand Identity Manual. This group met quarterly to compare results and establish best practices. After one year, the group hosted its first regional roll-out meeting in June 2009, where spiritual centers from across the country sent representatives to learn how to adopt the new identity.
More than two years after changing our name, United Centers for Spiritual Living continues to recognize the importance of our new identity. We are more accessible and more oriented to providing our constituents with a viable spiritual community. Each month, more and more of our members are changing their name to “Center for Spiritual Living,” and the reaction to the new brand identity from ministers and congregants alike has been overwhelmingly positive. The new name really reflects who we are becoming, and is helping us more toward our big goal to touch and transform 100 million lives by 2012.
Rev. Dr. Kathy Hearn is the Community Spiritual Leader for United Centers for Spiritual Living. Dr. Judy Morley, RScP, is on the staff of United Centers for Spiritual Living, serving as the Communications Leader.
