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Christianity Today, January, 2009 |

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Jesus Is Not a Brand

Why it is dangerous to make evangelism another form of marketing.

Tyler Wigg-Stevenson | posted 1/02/2009 02:32PM

For months after I first moved to Nashville, a billboard by the westbound I-40 advertised an alcohol addiction recovery program. But what caught my eye was the billboard's photograph: the coldest, frothiest, ...

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Lee	Posted: January 11, 2009 6:21 AM


The thoughts expressed in this article are good, by and large. But, the writing is appalling and makes the thoughts less accessible. CT editors, where are you?...

Johnny

Posted: January 11, 2009 3:43 AM

I think too many of the comments here are focusing on the word 'marketing' and not on the main point of Wigg-Stevenson's premise. He concedes that we do have to spread the word. His problem is with treating Jesus as just another commodity or self-help franchise sold primarily as something to make people's lives easier, make them always feel happy, and give them a social label. While he may overthink a few things, what he is primarily grieved about is the current focus on the 'felt-needs' aspects of church marketing (the 'what's in it for me right here and now' ethos) instead of a restored relationship and an eternal viewpoint and on that point he is dead right.

Donald

Posted: January 10, 2009 5:39 PM

Unless we want to pay $20-30 bucks an issue, then I guess we have to put up with someone paying to speak to you. Like all businesses, Christianity Today has to make a profit. Otherwise there is no Christianity Today outside of the Bible. The ads btw, confer information that may or may not be useful to you. And in some cases share information that would be hard to find. So on my page there's an ad for a service by a Christian Tax consultant, a Leadership conference, an NIT search engine, some Christian Liberal Arts Colleges and Seminaries, and so on. Which messages should we abhor?

Bradley Cochran

Posted: January 10, 2009 4:13 AM

I think Stevenson is, for the most part, clotheslining scarecrows (read: attacking a staw man). His logic doesn’t hold up, and his statements are a bit extreme—especially his comment about how approaching Jesus through marketing that taps into felt needs is blasphemy. His criticisms and warnings are misguided, I think, and hinge on several assumptions that he never explicitly mentions. •••••••••• For an alternative and less pessimistic take on branding and the gospel, listen to the recent podcast I did with Aaron Skinner, the founder and president of Kairos Creative @ urbanglory.org •••••••••••••

Benjamin

Posted: January 09, 2009 8:36 AM

Are we deviating from basic question and definition of Brand? Selling Jesus is different from selling 'jesus products'. Selling Bible books, Jesus statues is definetly different from selling Jesus. If somebody uses Jesus or Jesus statements to sell their products is SIN because they are using Jesus as Model but selling Jesus products is not a sin. Earlier we tried to have a Jesus statue in my home but unable to find a good one. Recently after a long search from internet and with friends we found the good one (WWW.YouAreBeingConnectedToJesus.com) and now every body are happy. Finally my conclusion is using Jesus as Model is a SIN.

David Gibbons

Posted: January 08, 2009 5:52 AM

I read the article with great interest. I found the comments from other readers insightful as well. I have no argument with Tyler Wigg-Stevensen at all. None of us want to see the Gospel ‘marketed’ poorly. But the commission given to us all by Jesus is to “go and preach this gospel”. That is marketing! It is connecting the message with the audience. When Jesus became flesh and dwelt amongst us, he came to ‘market’ God, Love and the Kingdom and eternity to us. We have the choice to accept it or reject it. I do not wish to cheapen salvation. Please forgive me if that is what you think from what I have said. I think we must be gracious, yet smart and effective in making the Kingdom attractive. And we can only do that if we, ourselves, are part of that Kingdom, and reflect the presence of Jesus in our lives with those with whom we connect.

Mike S

Posted: January 07, 2009 12:20 AM

Jesus didn't use very good marketing tactics when He told people that in order to follow Him they must hate their wives, children, and their own lives. That which is largely practiced in the church today is not salvation according to Jesus Christ, but just something that attaches His name to man's ways and ideas. Sin is not immorality. Was eating fruit immoral? And yet man died for this act! Why? It was rebellion--doing as we saw fit. Remember: the fruit was pleasing to the eye and also useful for gaining knowledge. Who doesn't want knowledge? Knowledge is good, right? Such is human reasoning. It's why we're all in this mess and we aren't going to get out of it by using our brains for tasks they were not made to accomplish. The spirit was made for understanding spiritual things and it is the Holy Spirit of God that we need for all these things. We must obey the Spirit moment by moment. This is all. God is good and willing, but we can do nothing nor direct ourselves.

Russ P

Posted: January 06, 2009 11:31 PM

I agree with the above comment: Marketing is simply telling your story. Didn't Jesus tell stories and certainly in ways different than the spiritual leaders of his time? I can imagine the Pharisees might have thought that Jesus was "marketing" as he communicated Truth through practical, applicable, relevant and understandable stories. Certainly churches can go overboard as they devote themselves to creating their own followers as opposed to followers of Christ.

Pauline

Posted: January 06, 2009 12:59 PM

Didn't st.Paul write to the Romans:"Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world,but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is -His good,pleasing and perfect will."(Rom.12;2) Those who sell Jesus like a product are like the one ,Simon,who wanted to buy the Holy Spirit.The apostle Peter said to him:"May your money perish with you,because you thought you could buy the gift of God with money"(Acts 8:20) God will call His children Himself, he has no need for false preachers with a Mammon-heart!

Kennedy Imuere UK

Posted: January 06, 2009 6:52 AM

I am really happy to see this article on the website and YES I agree that the Church does need marketing. The truth is that churches have being marketing the message for a long time without calling it or seeing it as marketing. Depending on which marketing definition you decide to apply or adapt. Let’s take Jay Conrad Levinson definition of marketing: Marketing is any contact by any member of your company with member of the public. With this definition in mind all of the activities that the church performs naturally can be view as a marketing activity. Back in the 90's I did an article called: DOES A CHURCH NEED MARKETING? And the response to this article was very poor as many dismiss the idea of marketing in the church but now I'm totally convince that most people in the church confuse marketing with selling. In the article I simply applied the 7p to the church in a balanced way. The 7p helps to breakdown the marketing process. For a copy of the article email me:contactus@strictlybc.c

Keith

Posted: January 05, 2009 4:05 PM


Sometimes we over-analyze all this. What did the apostle Paul do in Athens in Acts 17? He went to the marketplace of ideas and inserted the gospel story into the conversation. And he didn't change the content to reduce the inevitable negative reaction.

Ted Voth Jr

Posted: January 05, 2009 2:29 PM

You're missing the whole point. We are not suposed to 'cold' market the Faith; blasphemy! We are to let our light shine before people, as did Jesus, and go about doing good. We are a city set on a hill, and the World knows all about angry televangelists, petty anti-Gay crusaders, pederastic priests, crusades, inquisitions, pogroms; worse, they've heard about Jesus, what a kindly loving person he was, as opposed to the visible Church. We must show good fruit: love: joy, peace, patience, gentleness, goodness, faithfulnesss, meekness, self-control. And then be ready always to give an aswer for the hope in us. 'Preach the Gospel at all times; use words when necessary', said Francis.

Michael Holmes

Posted: January 05, 2009 10:29 AM


Bryan made a very valid point! In your article you talked about the cons of "marketing" Jesus...but you're marketing products about Him (hmm). God Bless you anyway:)

Elaine

Posted: January 05, 2009 10:24 AM


Like Bryan above, I was struck by the 8 pages of rotating ads on this web site as well as an ad for Clergy Tax Return software that kept appearing embedded in the article.

Will Ogden

Posted: January 05, 2009 9:22 AM

This article is stating a fundemental truth. It is not what is in it for me, but what is our purpose in life and that is to serve God with our whole might. Jesus provided the way to do this and the church is built on him as the cheif cornerstone, and the 12 apostles as the foundation. Every Pastor should read and study "Christ's Paralyized Church X-Rayed - by T.J. McCrossan - this is God's plan and he has never changed his mind. Because this book is out of print and is in the public domain, I have it in digital form in WORD. If you would like a copy contact me at will.ogden@amwork.com

al the best

Posted: January 05, 2009 12:52 AM


Gifts are freely given by the Spirit upon accepting Jesus Christ. Why selling the one you never bought? Shame to all Christian marketers! You will be buried together with your riches...

cubsfan

Posted: January 04, 2009 3:56 PM

Oooops! The author states "...the Four Spiritual Laws—a modern classic in evangelistic methods—says nothing about becoming a member of Christ's body when we "accept Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior."' He then goes on to draw a major theme from that false assumption. On page 15 of the 4 Spiritual Laws (latest edition), it reads "God's Word instructs us not to forsake 'the assembling of ourselves together' (Heb 10:25)...If you do not belong to a church, do not wait to be invited. Take the initiative; call the pastor of a nearby church where Christ is honored and His Word is preached. Start this week, and make plans to attend regularly. If the author of this article can't get the facts straight, his whole premise is built on sand, even if his theory is correct. I would like to read a more concise, plain-speaking, and factually correct re-write. The topic is interesting, but...

non USA

Posted: January 04, 2009 3:08 PM

I'll have to agree with other commenters that the article did make me think. - that I agree with A.D. It is ironical that the website with the most directed ads has an article complaining about "Christian" marketing. - that in my understanding of church history, cultural Christians disappear with their culture. Consumer evangelicals will not last longer than the American financial empire. -that the article is only critical of "marketing" the church in a detached academic way. It will only serve to let the marketing gurus adjust their techniques and hide their true god even further behind a shield of Christian altruism. - that I wondered how a Jesus, of blood and guts suffering on a cross would go over in a consumer marketing campaign.

Darren

Posted: January 03, 2009 9:34 PM

What a load of rubbish! The problem is not marketing, but our present day understanding of what Christianity is. All the problems cited with marketing were really addressed at our evangelism. Even the writer's analogy at the beginning showing salvation as a marketing concept showed a total lack of biblical understanding of the gospel. There was no mention of the price of the product, which is of course, everything. Your whole way of life, your heart, your sin, your affections, unless a man lose his life he cannot find it. There was no mention of sin, eternity, hell, power over sin, joy, sacrifice, etc. The problem is not marketing leading us to a consumerist soteriology. The problem is we already have a cross-less, sin-less, powerless, eternity out-of-view soteriology in our modern day US churchianity, and no marketing in the world can make this look attractive.

Steve

Posted: January 03, 2009 7:19 PM


To enter the Church as a Roman Catholic (Rite of Christian Initiation for adults) requires thought, reflection and time for the catechumen and is not a "quick purchase" http://www.ecatholic2000.com/rcia/rcia.shtml

Eric L.

Posted: January 03, 2009 7:11 PM

Great article. You can't brand Jesus in as much as you can't brand Allah or any other "god". But every local church has a brand (whether they know if or not). And every local church markets their church in some way. It's only a matter of to what degree local churches market themselves, some do a lot (billboards, flash websites, big yellow page ad), some do very little (just a bland road sign). Every local church should know its strengths and weaknesses and communicate how it is uniquely fulfulling the commands of Christ and preaching the Word.

Michele M.

Posted: January 03, 2009 1:31 PM

I was having a conversation with my friend the other day about what I (and her son) agree is questionable marketing/consumerization of Christianity (in a uniquely American excessive way) at "Christian" bookstores across the nation. You can buy any amount of "Christian" bling, home decor, clothing and accessories, and otherwise cheap plastic junk that your heart desires. It feels gross, wrong and, as in other areas of our global economy, is a dangerous place with regard to integrity of belief and participation -- i.e., most of this junk is manufactured in China, where the freedom to proclaim and follow Jesus is limited along with other human rights, not least among the factory workers who are making all of this "stuff" plastered with fish and crosses. I'm ashamed and repulsed by this and wish someone more articulate than I could speak about it. Anyone care to comment?

Ephrem Hagos

Posted: January 03, 2009 9:19 AM

If people use Jesus' name as a brand, "May the Lord forgive them! They sure don't know firsthand and personally the Lord they profess" (Luke 23:34 adapted). The Gospel of the self-revealing Jesus Christ needs nothing more than looking at Him whom they pierced and into the cause and effect of His diacritical death on the cross to release devastating divine power for destroying any strongholds. false arguments and proud thoughts raised against the knowledge of God (John 19: 30-37; 2 Cor. 10: 4-6). Somebody better try it. It is wide open for verification and general use (Acts 1, 2).

ketch22.wordpress.com

Posted: January 03, 2009 9:14 AM

Wow... this article and comments attached leave one stuck between a rock and a hard place. On the one hand, you want your church to grow because it indicates souls for Christ and it helps the Pastor make a living. On the other hand you want to do it the right way. I know God will provide for the Pastor, but that takes me back to the joke/story of the man who dies in a flood waiting for God to save him... ignoring the helicopter and boats that were sent to save him. If God is in control, can we not trust Him to use us correctly? Even in an advertising venue?

Paul Garrard

Posted: January 03, 2009 8:33 AM


Until pictorially Jesus is no longer depicted as a white man. but as an Arab it will always be marketing. www.of-course-blog.co.uk

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