UCG Wants to Be a Brand

Ancient Laodicea

UCG wants to brand itself according to the current United News, with most of the comments from Larry Salyer:

Cattle, the Church and the Gospel: Why Branding Is Important for UCG
■ Two branding agencies met with members of the Council of Elders Media Committee along with key administrators…

Branding and the Church

Over the next few months you will hear a lot about branding in the Church. No, we are not going into the cattle business! Neither are we going to market commercial products. Simply put, in order to effectively preach the gospel of the Kingdom of God, the Church needs a clearly identifiable brand. The world is full of religious organizations using the name of Christ, as He prophesied. The general public often assumes them to be similar, if not identical, in purpose and doctrine. When people ask which church you attend, your answer is not likely to distinctly register with them unless it is well known or is their church. The Bible makes it clear that the true Church is called the Church of God, but how many know that? There are many that call themselves “Church of God,” usually with other names added that do not really distinguish them from any other. Through the prophet Daniel, God revealed that the end time would bring knowledge overload. “Many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall increase” (12:4). This is certainly happening in terms of the spread of false religion. We need to be able to stand apart from this confusion and restore credibility to Christ’s message. As we read in Proverbs 22:1, “A good name is to be chosen rather than great riches.” Because we carry the name of God Himself, it is most important that we properly represent Him in a world in which the very idea of religion is under suspicion. We are to be “ambassadors for Christ” (2 Corinthians 5:20) as we reach out with the message He brought.

How Do We Brand Ourselves?

The concept of branding an organization goes deeper than just outward appearance or recognizable name and symbols. To achieve a successful, quality brand, the principles and values the organization stands for must be visible throughout—at every level of work and with every person involved. This is even more important for the Church— every one of us must practice what we preach and show that we believe “the Way” of life. No matter how impressive our outward brand or message, it is our fruit that will define us. Christ said, “Either make the tree good and its fruit good, or else make the tree bad and its fruit bad; for a tree is known by its fruit” (Matthew 12:33).

Of course, I think that UCG been branded itself already, but perhaps it would prefer to see something else. I believe that its fruits show that it is neither cold nor hot.

Some articles of possibly related interest may include:

The Laodicean Church Era has been predominant circa 1986 A.D. to present. These are non-Philadelphians who mainly descended from the old WCG.
Differences between the Living Church of God and United Church of God This article provides quotes information from the two largest groups which had their origins in WCG as well as commentary.
Polycarp, Herbert W. Armstrong, and Roderick C. Meredith on Church Government What form of governance did the early church have? Was it hierarchical? Which form of governance would one expect to have in the Philadelphia remnant? The people decide and/or committee forms, odd dictatorships, or the same type that the Philadelphia era itself had?
Should the Church Still Try to Place its Top Priority on Proclaiming the Gospel or Did Herbert W. Armstrong Change that Priority for the Work? Some say the Church should mainly feed the flock now as that is what Herbert W. Armstrong reportedly said. Is that what he said? Is that what the Bible says? What did Paul and Herbert W. Armstrong expect from evangelists?