Posted on 05/28/2009 11:30:40 AM PDT by Zakeet
Shrinking mainline Protestant denominations are turning to marketing to help stem decades of membership losses and stay afloat.
The United Methodist Church recently unveiled a $20 million rebranding effort aimed at attracting younger members to the large but diminishing Protestant group. The new ads will appear over the next four years as part of the denomination's "Rethink Church" campaign.
The Evangelical Lutheran Church in America has invested nearly $1.2 million over the past two years launching a similar branding effort based on the theme, "God's Work, Our Hands."
The denominations are trying to bounce back from losses that began in the mid-1960s.
From 1990 to 2008 alone, mainline Protestants dropped from 18.7 percent to 12.9 percent of the population, according to the American Religious Identification Survey.
The United Methodist Church now has just under 8 million members in the U.S., with about 3.5 million additional adherents overseas. The median age for a United Methodist is 57, according to the Rev. Larry Hollon, the denomination's chief communications executive.
The new ads highlight the opportunities for involvement within Methodist churches — from helping feed the poor to volunteering with youth basketball leagues in low-income neighborhoods, reflecting research that found young people are especially interested in service projects.
(Excerpt) Read more at news.yahoo.com ...
Laura Olson, a Clemson University professor who specializes in religion, said "Mainline Protestantism can offer to people who are skeptical of tradition ... something more progressive. By and large, mainline Protestantism is progressive politically and theologically. They have really strong powerful roots in social justice issues. That's their strongest card they have to play."
“United Methodist Church” it figures.
Marketing?
Yeah, that’s exactly what the ELCA needs.
Maybe they should try being Biblically relevant instead of being politically correct.
Sunday is Pentecost. The disciples of Jesus received the Holy Spirit and fearlessly witnessed to His death and resurrection. Three thousand believers were added to the Church that day. Wonder why mainline churches don’t try the Gospel instead of marketing....
AKA: Look Busy, Jesus Is Coming!
“...Mainline Protestantism can offer to people who are skeptical of tradition ... something more progressive....”
This is the same nonsense mainline protestant denominations have been pursuing for years.
The UMC Council of Bishops have chartered countless research projects to determine the reasons for the diaspora from their denomination’s ranks. Every time the reports came back the bishops were told that liberalism was the cause. They were told to instill stronger Biblical teachings and more vigorous religious discipline. The Bishops have always dismissed these results and continued on their benighted way.
I can not tolerate a Methodist worship experience any more. It is like getting sucked up in marshmallow land, all gooey and sticky and undifferentiated. It lacks Christ.
Instead of “Open Minds, Open Hearts, Open Doors” they ought to consider “Open Bibles, Follow Instructions”.
“What if a church could shape world events”
Ut oh! The libs are all ready.
This is exactly right-—the liberalization of the Methodist/Protestant Church has been their undoing, including their sanctimonious economic divestment of all things Israeli.
AMEN! I used to go to the Methodist Church, but we finally got so sick and tired of hearing Social Doctrine rather than Biblical, we left.
AKA: Look Busy, Jesus Is Coming!
The ELCA will get its Come-to-Jesus moment in August when the gay agenda is up for vote:
Same here. I grew up in the Methodist church and watched it grow increasingly polluted over the years. We're in an Evangelical Presbyterian church now.
It's a losing hand.
how about just being the church?
I did not know there was “branding” in church.
what next?
NEW! Methodist Church! now with Halo-vesence!!!!
you can be holier than thou!
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