wfn.org | United Church of Christ will proceed with second national ad

[Worldwide Faith News <wfn@igc.org>]

United Church of Christ
The Rev. J. Bennett Guess, news director
216/736-2177
<guessb@ucc.org>
<http://www.ucc.org>

For immediate release
February 28, 2005

United Church of Christ will proceed with second national ad run in March

The United Church of Christ's Stillspeaking Initiative has announced that
it will proceed with a national television ad buy during Lent, despite
falling short during a three-week, $1.5 million fundraising blitz to raise
the total dollars necessary.

"Thanks to our congregations, Associations, Conferences, national staff and
friends, we will be able to run TV ads during Lent," announced Ron Buford,
director of the UCC's identity campaign, on Feb. 23.

Noting an "historic" response of $540,500 given during an abbreviated
fundraising period, Buford said "contributions continue to come in at a
brisk pace."

The Rev. George Graham of the UCC's financial development ministry, added,
"We're still expecting significant gifts."

The ad buy could be scaled back somewhat, Buford conceded, but it will
occur.

"On the strength of this report and on faith, a task group composed of the
[UCC's Collegium of Officers], several Conference Ministers, members of
local congregations and national staff has recommended that we proceed with
an ad buy for $1 million to $1.2 million," Buford said.

The plan now calls for a three-week, pre-Easter ad buy, instead of the
previous four-week run that church leaders had once hoped.

Still, Buford said, the ability to proceed with a second ad buy will be a
significant psychological boost for the 1.3-million-member denomination's
five-year identity campaign.

On the heels of a controversial, yet successful campaign launch in December
2004 ? when CBS and NBC executives ignited a public controversy by deeming
the UCC's ads "too controversial" for network television ? church leaders
felt that, despite a lack of available funds, the church should take
advantage of its heightened profile and proceed with an additional ad buy.

That's why, on Jan. 28, church leaders hastily organized an online
fundraising appeal, asking for 3,000 entities ? members, churches, youth
groups, etc. ? to contribute or pledge at least $500 each, by Feb. 21.

After the campaign's initial week, it appeared the appeal was falling on
deaf ears ? when response seemed slow at best. After the first seven days,
less than 100 entities had made a financial commitment.

However, during the campaign's final days, "response snowballed and the
momentum grew substantially," Graham said.

Both Graham and Buford now expect the campaign's final tally to far
outshine totals announced on Feb. 23. To date, more than 1,000 entities
have purchased so-called "shares" in support of the ad buy, but more
commitments are being received daily from individuals and churches, Graham
said.

"It takes time to make decisions in churches, and this was a very ambitious
timeline," Graham explained. "With exception of the response we've received
during times of natural disaster, this campaign was unprecedented in the
amount given during such a short period of time."

"I think there's still a lot of people who have decided to give that we
just haven't heard from yet, so we're still expecting significant gifts,"
Graham said, pointing out that the campaign received as many gifts on Feb.
23 as it did during the entire first week.

For Graham, it was heartening to discover who was contributing.

"What really struck me was, in congregation after congregation, new members
were making significant gifts," he said, pointing out that, in one
congregation, a couple that had come to the church because of the ad had
given $250 toward the church's overall $1,000 gift.

"I think that really says something about the campaign," he said.

In addition, Graham said the appeal was significant because of how the
funds were raised. The abbreviated online, web-driven format was a first
for the denomination.

"This was different because it was our own web and e-mail coverage that was
getting out the word," he said, noting that the only direct mail appeal
occurred in the UCC's Central Atlantic Conference, where 300 potential
givers received a hard-copy letter.

"Beyond that, it all happened through e-mail and phone calls," Graham said.

The UCC will again attempt to place its controversial "bouncer" ad on
national broadcast and cable networks, because church leaders maintain the
30-second commercial has a proven track record of reaching and engaging
unchurched viewers, those who are the primary targets of the church's
evangelism efforts.

"This [campaign] is not about continuing the denominational shuffle, where
a Methodist church receives members from a Presbyterian church that takes
in members from a UCC church," emphasized a UCC Conference Minister
speaking to colleagues at the denomination's annual consultation of church
leaders held Feb. 17-19 in Phoenix, Ariz.

"We want to reach those who don't go to church at all," he said.

The Rev. Robert Chase of the UCC's proclamation, identity and communication
ministry said that, as in December, the UCC will attempt to place its
30-second spots on a mix of broadcast and cable networks, in order to reach
the broadest possible audience.

Learn more at http://www.stillspeaking.com/campaign/support.htm