- This Guys is Angry at Pastors – Eugene Peterson says pastors have “gone whoring after other gods.” It’s the epitome of church marketing that sucks: “The marketing strategies of the fast-food franchise occupy the waking minds of these entrepreneurs; while asleep they dream of the kind of success that will get the attention of journalists.” Ouch. (It comes from the introduction to Working the Angles–published in 1987)
- Church 2.0: Does the Congregation Know More Than the Pastor? – How churches are using web 2.0, and more importantly, shifting to a web 2.0, power to the people mindset. Sounds a lot like a little something from Tim Bednar. And reminds me of a little series someone did. (link via Jonathan Blundell)
- The Selling of Evangelical Christianity – Yet another feature on A. Larry Ross, Christian wunder pr man. Though the funny part is his involvement with the Left Behind video game: “I would assume, if there is violence, it’s the cosmic struggle of good versus evil, not gratuitous violence.” Yet an analyst describes the violence, “I will say some of the dialogue is pretty lame — people saying, ‘Praise the Lord’ after they blow away the bad guys.”
- Is Religion Making Us Fat? – “A gathering congregation has to gather around something, and it’s often around food,” Daniel Sack says.
- Church Drops the Name Church from their Title – “Church implies a single group of people,” Senior Pastor Ted Roberts. “And that [multiple services/locations] is the future of East Hill–to go beyond these walls eventually and not be limited geographically. We will become a family.”
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Whoring Pastors, Church Name Changes & More
August 28, 2006 by Kevin D. Hendricks
Kevin D. Hendricks
When Kevin isn't busy as the editor of Church Marketing Sucks, he runs his own writing and editing company, Monkey Outta Nowhere. Kevin has been blogging since 1998, runs the hyperlocal site West St. Paul Reader, and has published several books, including 137 Books in One Year: How to Fall in Love With Reading, The Stephanies and all of our church communication books.
9 Responses to “Whoring Pastors, Church Name Changes & More”
Gene Mason
August 29, 2006
Okay, I’m just about over the “sucks” thing, but isn’t the title “Whoring Pastors”, regardless of the article’s content, just a little bit of sensationalism for attention? C’mon guys, clean it up a little, will you?
ben h
August 30, 2006
King James had the word ‘whore’ and variations (whoredom, whoremonger) in his Bible 65 times. But I suppose the New King James (not Lebron) cleaned it up.
Gene Mason
August 31, 2006
C’mon, Ben. You know what I mean here. To elevate the discourse, in some way, you need to be willing to elevate the language. I suppose you frequently use the word “whore” in conversations among other believers? Right.
ben h
August 31, 2006
Yeah, you’re right. I don’t use that word in conversations at all. I aggree with you. Maybe CMS could clean it up. The sensationalism of the article’s headline doesn’t seem to have drawn much attention as you and I are the only two commenting on it. My previous comment was more of a stab at useless info (used 65 times in the KJV) and humor (Lebron). :) Nice chatting with you though, Gene. And, Kevin, don’t ever stop writing.
Kevin D. Hendricks
August 31, 2006
Maybe you should take up the issue with Eugene Peterson since it was his word in the first place.
Sorry guys, but I don’t see the problem.
Tim Bednar
August 31, 2006
Huh — the whole article reads like something very familar but I can’t put my finger on it….
Sara
September 5, 2006
The Selling of Evangelical Christianity…
I can’t imagine how many will be “saved” while there’s a video game out there using G-d’s name in vain. And swearing is NOT using his name in vain, but that’s another topic for another time.
Shouting praises to G-d whilst blowing away your enemies? Where is the love, guys? Didn’t Christ forgive his killers even while dying, tortured, on the cross, because he loved them? Still? We are told again and again BY CHRIST to love our neighbor as ourselves — and this includes those we don’t like or share political views with — yet we condone the turn-or-burn theology of so many self-proclaimed gods–er, televangelists and fire’n’brimstone pastors. And then we slap a price tag on it and call it evangelism.
And we still wonder why we are called hypocrites and so we withdraw to our holy ghettos and lick our wounds from self-inflicted persecution.
Where is our love?
Trevor
December 12, 2006
First off: Peterson wrote the quote back in 1987, give him a break.
Second: Of course he was using the word “whoring” for sensationalism for attention. He wanted to catch our attention in order for us to read his article.
Mission Accomplished.
Third: What term other than “whoring” would you rather him use? “Prostituting”? “Pimping”? “Unlawfully Wedded Baby Making”?
Do you think Jesus (not that E. Peterson is Jesus) had to have these conversations after he condemned the Pharisees?
“Well Jesus don’t you think you were being harsh when you called the Pharisees “Brood’s of Vipers”? Maybe you’d get through to them more effectively if you elevated the discourse.”
Please.
Anthony John
December 13, 2006
Let’s not pretend that words like ‘whore’ are unacceptable. The Bible is chock full of such imagery…all you have to do is READ IT to see it. In this case, Hosea would be a great place to start.
While you’re there, you might keep going through the rest of ‘the minor prophets’…the imagery of God as the faithful husband and Israel as the unfaithful, whoring wife can’t be missed.
Some Christians are obsessed with ‘staying clean’ by avoiding the ‘dirty things of the world’…but that’s not how it works. We don’t stay clean by avoiding sinners, movies, beer, and words like ‘whore’. As has been said so eloquently, what the church needs is more cigarette butts in the parking lot.