“At no other time in history has the church had an opportunity and platform that it has today,” says Anthony Miller, pastor of marketing and communications at Saddleback Church. “Unfortunately, no other time in history has it neglected the resources available like it does today.”
Anthony started working in church communication at the Rock Church in San Diego in 2006. He started with six years of marketing experience but this was his first time at a church. He soon found that there was little research or examples of church marketing. He couldn’t understand why other churches hadn’t invested more resources in this effort. Then he came across a blog post on Church Marketing Sucks that challenged churches to see that communicating the greatest story every told is worth investing in.
“I knew then I had to play my part in helping the church return to its position of influence and relevance,” Anthony says. “So I accepted the role of a trailblazer.” In years since, the Rock has invested more resources to build their brand and have become a model for other churches. “Not that we have it all figured out, because we are still learning,” says Anthony. “But we are willing share what we know.”
He adds, “I’m thankful to work for a church and leadership team that understands the value of marketing and branding. That has given us the latitude to try new ideas, take risks and think differently.”
“Church Marketing Sucks inspired my career,” Anthony says. “It has been a wealth of information and insight to help me do a better job and make informed decisions.” When he started at the Rock, he thought his marketplace experience would give him an edge in church marketing. “The marketplace should be learning from the church,” Anthony says. “I’m convinced that Jesus was the greatest living marketer of all time and we can benefit from following his example. My career has changed because I now know biblical marketing.”
Do you have a story of how Church Marketing Sucks or our nonprofit parent, the Center for Church Communication, has helped you? Or do you want to help your fellow church communicators? Connect with us to share your story or volunteer to help.
