Leaders of Xenos reject the label of 'cult.' The church describes itself online as a 'culturally relevant, non-traditional and non-denominational church with mainstream biblical doctrines.' There is no official membership, although Hale says the church has about 5,000 regular attendees. It shares testimonials of people who left, many of whom say the church is overly controlling. Stories about the church regularly appear on the Columbus subreddit, and former member Mark Kennedy maintains the website Xenos Is A Cult. Xenos has many detractors, and criticism abounds online. It’s difficult to pronounce, a lot of people don’t pronounce it correctly.' 'And frankly, a lot of people don’t like the name.

'For a long time we felt that Xenos, for lack of a better term, might be antiquated and doesn’t really describe who we are,' Hale says. It decided on Dwell after meeting with a consulting firm. Xenos leaders announced Friday in their annual Vision and Stewardship Meeting that the church will be known now as 'Dwell.'Īccording to Xenos spokesman Keegan Hale, the church has been debating whether to change its name for several years. But the church's critics view the rebranding with skepticism. Xenos Christian Fellowship is getting a name change - one that leaders hope will help the Columbus church better communicate its purpose and values.

Dwell study center