Why "Brother Greg"?

A name that feels like home

People often ask me why I go by "Brother Greg." It's a fair question, and the honest answer is a simple one. Something about the sound of it has always felt like home.

But there's a little more to it than that. The name carries a tradition I love, a reminder I need every single day, and a family I'm blessed to belong to.

A word with a long history

From the very beginning, followers of Jesus have called one another "brother" and "sister." It runs all through the New Testament. Paul writes to the churches as his brothers and sisters, and Jesus Himself said that whoever does the will of His Father is His brother and sister and mother (Matthew 12:50).

I've long admired the way Christians across the centuries have carried those words. They speak of humility, service, and belonging rather than rank. They don't say "I'm above you" or "I'm in charge." They say "we're family."

There's something beautiful in that. In a world that loves titles, here's one that points away from the person and toward the family of God.

What the name is, and what it isn't

I want to be clear about one thing. I'm not a monk or an ordained minister, and "Brother Greg" isn't a title. I haven't earned any special standing, and I'm not claiming one.

It's simply a reminder. As believers, we really are bound to one another in a godly family relationship. Every time someone says the name, I'm called to treat the person in front of me that way, to "be devoted to one another in brotherly love" (Romans 12:10). Some days I do that well. Other days I fall short.

A family that doesn't clock off

When Christians call each other "brother" and "sister," we aren't just being friendly. We're describing something real. Through Christ, we have one Father, and that makes us one family. Paul puts it plainly: we are no longer strangers, but "members of God's household" (Ephesians 2:19).

The early church lived it out. They shared meals, homes, and everything they had (Acts 2:44–46). Paul told Timothy to treat older men as fathers, younger men as brothers, older women as mothers, and younger women as sisters (1 Timothy 5:1–2). That's not the language of an organisation. It's the language of a home.

Over the years I've worked for a number of organisations that described their staff as "family." I understand why leaders say it, and I believe some of them mean it. But too often it's just honey words. People come in to earn a living between set hours, and when the shift ends, so does the "family."

I've also been blessed to see the real thing. I've known workplaces, many of them run by Christians, where people genuinely cared for one another, in hard seasons as well as good ones, after hours as well as during them. What made the difference wasn't a mission statement. It was Christ at the centre of the business, in places where staff gather before opening to commit their day's work to Him in prayer.

That's the family I mean when I say "brother" or "sister." It doesn't clock off at five o'clock, and it doesn't end when the paycheck does. It's held together by Jesus, and it lasts.

Just call me Greg

If "Brother Greg" sits well with you, I'd be honoured. If it doesn't, that's perfectly fine too. Greg suits me just as well. Whatever you call me, I hope that when we meet, you'll leave feeling a little more like family.

I am,

Your brother,

Greg.