Posted on 08/24/2005 11:10:08 PM PDT by nickcarraway
Is television advertising mainline Protestantism's best hope? Set to mood music that would have made Barry White grin, a new United Methodist Church spot features a woman discovering a red ribbon, a black man in a wheelchair, an Asian woman fighting with her husband, a businessman picking up arrows, and other people of every age, sex, and color finding their way to a field. The voiceover intones, "Find your path and share the journey. The people of the United Methodist Church." This is what's supposed to haul folks back to Methodism -- or at least stem its precipitous decline.
"The Journey" TV ad will be launched next week by United Methodist Communications in a $2 million cable rollout. UMC has sent out press releases and retained a Washington, D.C. public relations firm to announce its latest push in the "Open hearts, Open minds, Open doors" advertising campaign. The Methodists' sustained PR push began in 2001 with aggressive advertising and is slated to continue through 2008, with concentrated efforts during back-to-school and holiday periods.
While United Methodist Communications' PR representative contacted TAS to set up interviews with church officials about the ad campaign, they failed to call for two days. So we were left with a few questions: What is the ad saying? Where is the ad's religious message? What about the ad distinguishes the United Methodist Church? Why is a church spending so much on television advertising?
At first glance, the ad says very little. The church welcomes people from all walks of life and makes few demands. Rev. Larry Hollon, chief executive of United Methodist Communications, seems to confirm this in the press release, "We are on a journey that leads us toward God. This spot shows that persons seeking a path for their faith can find a home in the United Methodist Church." And he told the Denver Post, "What we're trying to say is, if you're searching for wholeness, a desire for spiritual growth and commitment to a larger purpose, try us." From this information, the uninitiated would learn that the UMC is monotheistic and welcoming. To learn that the church is Christian would require independent investigation.
Maybe the message behind the ad campaign -- or lack thereof -- is part of the problem rather than a solution. Mark Tooley, TAS contributor and United Methodist director at the Institute on Religion and Democracy in Washington, said, "The ads aren't offensive, they're just kind of languid. I'd question their effectiveness."
Apparently even the motto "Open hearts, Open minds, Open doors" is causing problems in the United Methodist Church, according to Tooley. A conference by pro-gay Methodists will be hosted over Labor Day weekend by a church facility at Lake Junaluska, North Carolina. Conservatives in the church are objecting to "Hearts on Fire," which will featured the defrocked openly lesbian minister Beth Stroud, since UMC has rejected the ordination of practicing homosexuals as well as gay marriage. Those defending the use of church property for "Hearts on Fire" have justified it by citing the absolute inclusiveness implied in "Open hearts, Open minds, Open doors." "People on the conservative side of the church are concerned about the slogan because people on the left push their agenda using that," Tooley said.
So what Methodist convictions will attract the masses into the pews of a mainline Protestant denomination? A denomination's moral teachings usually indicate its theological strength. The church lists topics on its website. Where one might expect subjects like original sin, salvation, and the like, the curious find nods to modern liberalism: corporate responsibility, restorative justice, and women clergy. Dig a little deeper and you'll find that UMC opposes the death penalty in all circumstances, but is equivocal when it comes to abortion.
FIVE YEARS AND $20 MILLION of slick packaging haven't stemmed UMC's membership nosedive. In fact, the situation has only grown worse. According to UMC, the church only lost 34,000 members in 1999 and 36,500 in 2000, but saw 69,000 leave in 2003 and 71,000 leave in 2004. Such attrition is nothing to sneeze at when total membership is less than 8.2 million.
The slide isn't new for UMC. As a percentage of the American population, its membership has dropped from 5.3% in 1970 to 3% in 2000. And while U.S. population has increased by over 110% since 1940, Methodists only increased membership by less than 1% over the same period.
As is fairly well known, only mainline Protestant denominations suffer this fate while Catholic and fundamentalist denominations have experienced healthy membership growth. The Southern Baptist Convention increased its rolls by 7 percent since 1994, the Pentecostal Assemblies of God by 20 percent, and the Roman Catholic Church by 13 percent. Last year alone, the Catholic Church grew by 1.28 percent, the Southern Baptists by 1.18 percent, and the Assemblies of God by 1.57 percent, while the Methodists turned in 0.002 percent growth.
It's no coincidence that mainline Protestantism and its milquetoast morality is failing while churches with strong convictions are booming. People are drawn to strong convictions and churches that demand something of their lives. Americans don't need to be told in an ad campaign that the United Methodist Church -- the country's third largest denomination -- is there. The problem is that there's no there there.
And that wasn't supposed to be a joke, I'm sorry if it came across that way. Spurgeon really, truly, DID. I immensely respect the doctrinal Methodists.
I am aware of Spurgeons background. I have several volumes of his sermons.
The last time I was there it was for my grandmothers funeral. The pastor spent the whole of her time talking about my grandmother's tolerance towards homosexuals and minorities (which she had in spades) and nothing else. My grandmother worked for Kaiser Shipyards in WWII, survived the Vanport flood, lived through the depression and midwest dustbowl, survived several bouts of cancer, raised two kids after the early death of her husband. Her family was hardly mentioned except the part where my grandmother taught her children and grandchildren tolerance as well.
Sorry, I had to get that off my chest.
ping
(Denny Crane: "Sometimes you can only look for answers from God and failing that... and Fox News".)
Thank you for that.
From this statement:"We are on a journey that leads us toward God. This spot shows that persons seeking a path for their faith can find a home in the United Methodist Church."
All I can say is: "Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the father, but by me."
The methodists (along with other mainline denominations) rejected the Christ years ago. What we are watching nowadays is the death throes of these denominations.
Do you have any evidence of that?
Pardon my skepticism, but I have a hard time believing that any faithful Christian pastor would stay in the UMC after everything that has happened in that organization.
I can understand that some laity might be too old, too feeble, too whatever to grasp what has happened, but not any trained clergy.
I am a pastor (elder) in the UMC. You can look over my 6 years+ of posts here on FR and determine for yourself if I adhere to the scripture.
I call your attention to the churches of Pergamum and Thyatira in the Book of Revelation. What are the believers in those churches called to do?
I have often remarked to Brother xzins that I just don't see how he does it. Yet, I have many college friends who continue to faithfully serve in the UMC. They, along with xzins, fight this war on a daily basis, not just on an Internet board.
Methodism is in my heritage, but not my actual experience. I did attend a conservative UMC while in college. And my great-grandfather was a circuit rider (pre-"U"MC).
I couldn't do it, as I am not called there. But I applaud xzins, my college friends, the Good News movement and the others who daily fight and pray to restore the UMC to her great Wesleyan heritage.
Several of America's "megachurches" (congregations with 2000+ members) are United Methodist congregations. Kirbyjon Caldwell's congregation in Houston (membership of somewhere around 14,000), for example.
Obviously, not every UMC congregation is sliding toward apostasy--nor, it could be argued, are most. The Confessing Movement Within the United Methodist Church and the Good News renewal movement are still growing, and the Confessing Movement already claims one-sixth of all UMC congregations by itself as members.
Also, as a 24-year-old confessing United Methodist, I take exception to your characterization of all non-apostate Methodists as "too old or feeble" to leave.
It is obvious from the posts of Corin & Grammar that the UMC is in the middle of a war. Sometimes the faithful Christians lose battles and sometimes we win them. We will continue the struggle and will hold fast in word & deed to that which the Lord has revealed.
I do not deny that some of the individual churches appear to have lost the struggle. I do not criticize those Christians for departing those churches. This holds true for pastors as well. Sometimes they are severely injured and need to depart.
I am so sorry your fine grandmother was used at her funeral as a prop for promoting homosexuality. So very very sorry.
I am currently a newly unchurched UM who is contemplating what I would have never thought I would do...investigate joining the Church of St Peter.
You are right. The Methodists were "holiness", long before pentecostalism came along in the early 20th century.
The Methodist Chruch is a haven for homosexuals and deviants of all sorts. The upper echelons (at least in Iowa) tolerate faggots and corruption without saying a word.
As a life-long member of the UMC, I agree with the earlier poster who mentioned the overseas and Southeastern Jusidictional growth. It's amazing: when the UMC preaches Christ and the scripture, it grows. When it preaches humanism and moral relativism, it dies. DUH!
Other groups include "Good News Magazine," the "Confessing Movement," and "The Taskforce of United Methodists on Abortion and Sexuality" (otherwise known as "Lifewatch").
If I knew how, I'd create links; check them out. They do still preach Christ crucified and risen. And they're working within the denomination to bring it back to its scriptural/Wesleyan roots. Slowly but surely, that's happening.
In the meantime, millions of Methodists continue to leave and go elsewhere.
Yet they wonder why people continue to leave the denomination?!
I remain a United Methodist ONLY because I know this is where the Lord wants me. Yes, there's lots of c#*& here; but if all of us leave, then how would the other "lost" learn the Truth?
Didn't John Wesley and Jesus both go where the "sick and needy" were?!
You are not alone. Check it out: www.mreform.org
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.