Letters from the General Secretary

Friday, November 10, 2006

This week's launch of the Emerging Spirit advertising campaign has attracted considerable media attention and public discussion about the first series of ads produced for this three-year campaign.

In addition to the WonderCafe.ca introductory binder that was recently mailed to all pastoral charges, the following key points address some of the questions that have been asked since the campaign was launched on November 7.

1. No money from the Mission and Service Fund or money specifically earmarked for outreach and traditional mission work is being used for the Emerging Spirit campaign.
   The advertised $10.5 million cost comes from money held in reserves that originated with a number of designated bequests, the largest of which was the Morrison bequest.
   The Morrison bequest was a specific bequest that was to be used for innovative mission programs in Canada. We think Emerging Spirit fits well with this criterion.
2. Almost half of the total cost of Emerging Spirit is being used for support of local congregations and training of volunteer committees to help the church be a more open, welcoming place for all who visit or seek to join the church. We see this as a positive initiative no matter how many new members are attracted by the Emerging Spirit program.
   To date, there has been an enthusiastic response by congregations who will be a part of the very popular training events for those seeking to be Welcoming Congregations.
3. The Emerging Spirit initiative received approval from the General Council at its meeting in August in Thunder Bay. The resounding support at that event came from the elected delegates (commissioners) representing all parts of the country. That decision at General Council followed a very full discussion of the campaign and its financial implications.
4. The Emerging Spirit ads are designed to attract attention, elicit conversation, and point people toward the WonderCafe website*. Their intent is not to make fun of personal religious belief or diminish basic religious understanding. Jesus probably looked for a similar reaction when he declared: It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven.
5. The Emerging Spirit ad campaign is designed to communicate to a generation of primarily 30- to 45-year-olds who have very little or no knowledge of organized religion and the contemporary church. The ads are not intended to reach out to people who are already members and adherents of The United Church of Canada. These ads have been thoroughly tested with people in the age group they are intended for. We are confident the ads will attract the attention of 30- to 45-year-olds who don't go to church, and provoke discussion among them about faith and religion issues.
6. The Emerging Spirit ad campaign is not attempting to define what the United Church is all about. Rather, it is meant to raise questions about faith, religion, and other important questions of life, and invite discussion. It hopes to reach out to the millions of Canadians who feel that organized religion isn't relevant to their lifestyle and their lives. As a result, the ads must not feel "churchy" or be what many people would expect from The United Church of Canada. We are trying to get people to consider church in a different way. We believe these ads will do that.
   There are six print ads and a Web-based video. Not every ad will appeal to every person; we expect that. That's why there are several, so we can be sure to appeal to the maximum number of people possible.
7. We recognize that the ads, and the boldness with which we have unveiled the campaign publicly, generated both praise and ridicule of The United Church of Canada. The latter response is particularly painful for long-standing faithful members of the United Church. Despite this, however, our confident hope is that as the Emerging Spirit campaign unfolds, these feelings of embarrassment will soon be replaced by a sense of renewed energy and commitment to the mission and ministry of The United Church of Canada.

The Rev. Dr. Jim Sinclair
General Secretary, General Council
The United Church of Canada