140 - What's in a Name? — Jon Shuler on Branding, the Anglican Label, and What NAMS Really Means - August 11, 2026

What's in a Name? — Jon Shuler on Branding, the Anglican Label, and What NAMS Really MeansIn episode 140, Jon Shuler dips his toes into AI for the first time and asks ChatGPT a simple question: what does "NAMS" mean? The answers — a Korean surname, an Indian nickname meaning "to honor," and, memorably, the North American Menopause Society — launch a wide-ranging and often funny reflection on the power of branding. But underneath the humor is a serious concern: the word "Anglican" triggers an instant reaction in people's minds, and it's rarely the one NAMS intends. From a Frenchman toasting "Jack Daniels!" to a South Carolinian who thought Episcopal meant "little, old, and rich," to the dozen strangers who said "oh, you're the church that hates gay people," Shuler shows how a brand can mean one godly thing to us and something entirely different to everyone else. A thought-provoking episode for every Anglican, church planter, and Great Commission Christian.