djohnson,
By now there are probably 100s of groups in the USA and around the globe that use this terminology. I have met ones from "the church in Livonia", "the church in Grand Rapids", "the church in Port Huron", "the church in Wellington", and others. They do not feel that "they are the only group with any legitimacy in a city." They only feel that from the Scriptures that is how they should refer to themselves. They have never been in the LC/LSM system.
That this would "imply to many including myself that those in that particular group and their admin think they are the only group with any legitimacy in a city" tells me something. One, either, they themselves were in the LC/LSM system at one time, had a bad experience, and now flip out whenever they hear the term. Or, number two, they were never in the LLC/LSM system but had a run-in with them in the past, touched there exclusive attitude and this has left them with a bad taste for the terminology.
I doubt if outside of that any would have a reaction to the term. Otherwise, why would so many groups be willing to take the designation to describe themselves and yet maintain open mutual fellowship with other Christian groups and be received by other Christian groups? Check out this web site
http://www.cng.org/Greetings.htm
Only when you have run into the body of teaching and the deformed practices of those in the LC/LSM system would you arrive at such a conclusion that the phrase "the church in (city) is exclusive. It is the toxic additives to the phrase that turn believers off.