The Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr. on the position of the church:
“There was a time when the church was very powerful—in the time when the early Christians rejoiced at being deemed worthy to suffer for what they believed. In those days the church was not merely a thermometer that recorded the ideas and principles of popular opinion; it was a thermostat that transformed the mores of society… . But the judgment of God is upon the church [today] as never before. If today’s church does not recapture the sacrificial spirit of the early church, it will lose its authenticity, forfeit the loyalty of millions, and be dismissed as an irrelevant social club with no meaning for the 20th century.” (“Letter from a Birmingham Jail”)
Are King’s words coming to pass? For me, this is the heartbeat of Church Marketing Sucks. I see two primary problems which have made this site necessary: 1) The church has a hard time communicating its message. 2) The message we do communicate often fails because our authenticity is in jeopardy.
All the postcards and Google ads in the world won’t fix the second problem.
More
- Martin Luther King Jr. Day: Why and how your church should celebrate, including free social graphics to share.
- See more of our posts on Martin Luther King Jr.
(quote via Mission Safari)
Eddie
July 13, 2005
that really is a fantastic quote and it speaks volumes to me, thank you for sharing it. unfortunatly, i think for most churches in america, it has already “come to pass.”
but that’s just my opinion…
Eddie
M Squared T Blog
July 13, 2005
Thermostat or Social Club?
Dr. King has a number of timeless quotes – or at least ones that, despite 40+ years, are still extremely timely. Here’s one of them:
There was a time when the church was very powerful-in the time when the early Christians rejoiced at being deemed w…
Pudge
July 14, 2005
True.
I also think “Mr. King” gave us a clue to “getting back on track” (renewing our authencity if you will).
Should the church revolve around society?
Yes and No.
If we don’t know what society is looking at, experiencing, enjoying, or hating…how can we relate to them to reach them?
However, if we only look to society we have forgotten the gift we are sharing.
Should “the church” looking to society ever change?
Yes and No.
One day, the church should set the tone of society. That it has been so relevant and engaging that it has regained its authority and sets the tone for what we once studied.
However, even then we have to know the people in order to reach the people.
Blanket statements of people, suffocate people.
Todd Ruth
July 16, 2005
Not only does the church have a hard time communicating its message, it often communicates the wrong message… the “What we’re against” rather than “What we’re for”.
radio rebellion
July 18, 2005
Super Size Me…at last
Oh, Gads!!! I’m sitting here watching Su