Rockwell Green residents want church name changed after carol service confusion

AN evangelical church in Wellington is under pressure to change its name after dozens of people missed a Christmas carol service last week because they went to the wrong location.

People living in Rockwell Green received flyers through their letterboxes advertising ‘Carols at the Well’, resulting in many residents gathering around the ancient well from which part of the community takes its name.

But the event was actually being held nearby in the former Rockwell Green Christian Fellowship Centre, which had changed its name to The Well Church.

Now, residents have expressed concern that the name change has taken away from the history of the community, which developed around a working well which remains a feature today.

Graham Lang, who has lived in Rockwell Green for more than 30 years, asked the church to remove its new name to stop confusion and also wanted to know why there had not been any community consultation about it.

Mr Lang said: “The Well is part of Rockwell Green’s history, it has been here a lot longer than the Christian Fellowship, give Rockwell Green back its heritage.”

Another resident, Theresa Chard, said: “As a person who was born in Rockwell Green and has lived in The Well for 30-plus years I feel our identity has been stolen.

“We in Rockwell Green are a close-knit community.

“We love our history and what our village stands for.

“We do not need a sermon from a church that is trying to justify changing its name without consulting the villagers first.

“Had they done so, they would realise how strongly people think about this.

“All they have done is upset us.”

Among residents who went to the wrong carol service location was Lisa Barr, whose husband Marcus is the Mayor of Wellington.

Mrs Barr said people had been ‘completely misinformed’ and not even local councillors had been aware of the name change which caused the confusion.

She said: “It has rattled some people, if I am honest.”

Kiera Alice Chard, who attended the village primary school as a child, said: “I know a few residents of The Well are quite upset that our identity that we are proud of as a little community of our own has been taken by The Christian Fellowship.”

Church pastor Dan Bedford apologised for the confusion and said: “We acknowledge and appreciate thoughts on our church name.

“It was certainly not our intention to cause any upset, and we understand that the invitations may have led to some misunderstanding.”

Mr Bedford said the church changed its name about two years ago as it wanted ‘to better convey our inclusive message to the community’.

He said: “We felt that the term ‘fellowship’ had acquired non-Christian connotations over the years, making it seem exclusive rather than inviting.

“By adopting the name The Well Church, we aim to express our presence in Rockwell Green’s community and to extend open arms to everybody with the message of hope found in Christian beliefs.

“The name ‘The Well’ has a deep spiritual meaning in Christian theology and is inspired by Jesus’ encounter with the woman at the well, as described in the Gospel of John, Chapter 4.

“We genuinely regret any confusion or unintended upset caused by the invitations.

“Our intention is to foster a sense of community and share the uplifting message of Christmas.”

Mr Bedford said since the name change there had not been any issues with postal deliveries for either the church or residents of The Well area of Rockwell Green.

He said the carol service invitations lacked a full address and postcode, which was ‘a departure from our usual practice’.

Mr Bedford said: “We acknowledge this oversight and assure you that next year’s invitations will include complete details to prevent any recurrence of confusion.

“The Well Church has been an integral part of the Rockwell Green community and we remain committed to maintaining and strengthening this connection.

“Our church hosts various initiatives, including a Best Before Food Store, food bank, community networking space, and warm space, with the aim of serving both Rockwell Green and the wider town.

“While we stand by the spiritual significance of The Well, we understand the importance of clear communication and are committed to addressing any unintended confusion.”