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Christian flag
A large Christian flag flying on church grounds.
Christian flag
Christianity
While there is no one official flag of all Christian churches, by common usage the so-called Christian flag has come to be recognized by a number of them. It is particularly common in American Protestant churches. The flag consists of a white rectangular field with a blue rectangle in the upper corner at the mast side which contains a red Latin cross. Charles C. Overton, a New York Sunday school superintendent, has been credited with designing this flag in 1887. Overton selected white to signify purity; blue, courage; and the red cross, sacrifice. Other designs incorporating the cross have been officially adopted by various churches.
The Editors of Encyclopaedia BritannicaThis article was most recently revised and updated by Melissa Petruzzello.
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