The brouhaha over the incorporated name of the church [TLC, Jan. 11] raises some far deeper and non-humorous questions. A name is a sensitive thing, for an individual or a group. It symbolizes who or what we are, our very selves.

For decades, editorials in this magazine campaigned for change from Protestant Episcopal Church in the United States of America. Protestant no longer has the positive connotation it had in the 18th century, and it suggests a negative and one-sided emphasis in our Anglican middle way or via media. The U.S.A. part, moveover, has been embarrassing in some other nations where we have had missionary work.

Some of us cherish the term Anglican and wish it were in our title. It connotes, we may feel, much of what is best in our theology, traditions and spirituality. But will it always be so? Anglican means English (in Latin, ecclesia anglicana means Church of England), but the English church no longer overshadows us as it once did. It is in the Third World (especially in Africa) that our communion exhibits the greatest life and growth, and this will undoubtedly continue in the century ahead. Why should French-speaking members of our church in West Africa describe their church with a word which in French plainly means English? Or IIocano speakers in the Philippines, or Portuguese speakers in Brazil? Why should they be stuck with a term that is a cognate of English? At a deeper level, we can hardly expect them to cherish the prose of Archbishop Cranmer, or the books of the Caroline Divines or the fidelity of the Nonjurors. We are deeply grateful for the growth of our church in other cultures, but we must recognize that what are precious heirlooms to us may be meaningless and cumbersome baggage to them.

As long as we are letting our imaginations work, what about the word Episcopal? It means having bishops. When Bishop Seabury was consecrated in 1784, we were the only non-Roman church having a bishop in the entire Western hemisphere. And should the mere fact of having bishops be the outstanding identifying characteristic of the church? Are not proclaiming the gospel and holding the catholic faith the basics?

For a title in A.D. 2050, in all the different national churches in our communion, contemplate this: The Evangelical Catholic Church. That should say it all. Our people all over the world, could with both pride and humility, introduce themselves as Evangelical Catholics.