Thanks For Nothing

by Joe Thorn on March 30, 2005

Okay, this sort of thing doesn’t exactly make me proud to be part of the SBC. Instead, it brings me to a place somewhere between sadness and scorn.  Check out this promo spot for the Cooperative Program. Not only is it generally cheesy, but it trivializes both the Gospel and urban/hip-hop culture. This reflects the larger problems that encourage young leaders to leave the SBC.

Eloise CO-OP IMB Promotion

About Joe Thorn

I am the Lead Pastor of Redeemer Fellowship in Saint Charles, IL, and author of Note to Self: The Discipline of Preaching to Yourself. Jen is my wife, and Katherine, Elias, Madeline and Kilian are my kids.

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  • http://roathu.tripod.com whipple

    Oh……..my.

    I think I’m changed…..in some form or fashion. Where did we get such sub-standard ideas about art? Not to mention out-reach!

  • Chris W

    That was fuuuuhhh-NAAAY, but probably not in the way they intended. Obedience to the Father because Jesus is gonna catch ya doin’ wrong, as opposed to obedience to the Father because you love and serve Him, is a shallow message.

    Do they think the target audience is actually going to listen to THAT lady?? Saturday Night Live couldn’t have done such a ridiculous bit better.

  • http://www.stevekmccoy.com Steve McCoy

    This is why the SBC needs to be embracing emerging leaders instead of making fun of our stereotypical candles and goatees. Without young, passionate pastors and Christ-followers and elders and theologians who are able to show what faithfulness is like in our generation, we will keep seeing more of Eloise which is a visible demonstration of what faithfulness is NOT like.

  • http://cawley.typepad.com K. Cawley

    Joe– is it bad that I’m laughing so hard that I’m crying? and sending this link to all my friends? if so, please tell me and I’ll stop.

  • John

    In semi-defense of the SBC….
    Funny stuff. I’m not sure it trivializes hip-hop culture. One thing hip-hop culture is able to do that many cultures aren’t is to laugh at themselves. Although, given the history of the SBC, H-h culture might not find it funny coming from them.

    I think some Co-Op people were thinking of ways to tap the monetary resources of teens. (article on targeting teen’s discretionary money http://www.nwfusion.com/edge/columnists/2003/0609bleed.html)
    So they came up with this video, which in a humorous way emphasizes the responsibilities of wealth. As far as Jesus catchin’ us doing wrong with our money, there is precedent in Luke 16 and 19.

  • Laurie

    >>”needs to be embracing emerging leaders instead of making fun of our stereotypical candles and goatees.”<<

    What is this “emerging” church stuff??

  • http://www.joethorn.com Joe Thorn

    Laurie,

    I’m heading off to a meeting with Chris concerning inFocus. I’ll post my take on the “emerging church” when I get home.

    John,

    You may have a point about people not beeing offended in the hip hop culture by this ad. Maybe. But as far is this ad having a positive impact on the youth. I doubt it. But God has certainly used worse things (some of my own mistakes in ministry) to advance his cause.

  • http://billarnold.typepad.com Bill

    That was just plain stupid.

  • http://theram4jc.blogspot.com joe kennedy

    so i was in intro to christian missions the other day and we watched an SBC video on the history of SBC missions. of course, we all expected it to be cheesy- they’re always ridiculously cheesey. sometimes we just wish they’d stop making videos. anyhoo, i digress. it was done in the format of a newscast in three parts… 90s style big hair and everything. the voiceover seriously mentioned the issue of slavery and missions and the southern split from the northern baptists. when the “SBC leader” started talking about the formation in savannah (i think it was there), he had this [robert] tilton-esque smirk on his face and he said it with such arrogant pride that i wanted to throw up. i couldn’t help but think- “this guy thinks so highly of his utter ridiclousness.” truly, i couldn’t decide if i was outraged or just embarrased. probably both.

    as for this co-op video. look, i dig the cooperative program because it’s got me in seminary (you might think learning important stuff, don’t hold that video example against me). i probably (along with many) couldn’t be here without it. so yeah the videos are bad. but try to move past the ridiculousness and maybe focus with the message. we have to filter junk all day long in class. it shouldn’t be any different in real life.

  • http://www.joethorn.com Joe Thorn

    Joe K,

    I too love the CP. That was one of the reasons I initially joined a Southern Baptist Church. And for the record, the North American Mission Board put together some commercial spots for churches to use that are very good. One would work very well for our church in particular. A couple were dated, but overall I was impressed. So I know the good stuff can be accomplished.

    But in this case I cannot look past the “ridiculousness” and focus on the message, because the format has an impact that will rarely be good, and the message itself is flawed in this clip. Having said that, I agree with your sentiment. I love the SBC, and the CP, without which our church would not have been planted. But wanting the best for our Convention, and the world to know Jesus I expect our Convention to grow and change (repent and be sanctified) in some big ways. Just like I must grow and change where necessary.

    Thanks for the comments man.

  • THilton

    Can you say “cheese”? Poor taste and poor stewardship is evident here. But we’re attempting to be relevant…right?

  • http://www.leadingchangeinc.com David Phillips

    This video was just sad. I can imagine some 50-ish marketing guy sitting around at IMB going, “Hey, I keep hearing this ‘bling bling’ stuff. What’s that called? Really? So let’s do a video about this, what’s that again? Hip-hop, yeah…and get an old lady to do it…it’ll have people rolling and maybe those kids these days will understand it.”

    Seems to me if they really wanted to make an impact using this type of angle they would use a real h-h person. It was as if they were targeting kids but did it in such a way that only adults would think it’s somewhat funny – at least they thought it might be funny. The problem is that the so many adults wouldn’t understand what they were saying that it would flop in that context as well…

    We have some great people in our convention, but our agencies and leaders are just ignorant. I don’t mind ignorant people, but they just need to keep quiet and let people who really understand what they’re doing make decisions and speak for the convention, not opening their mouth an inserting foot, which usually happens.

  • http://theram4jc.blogspot.com joe kennedy

    you’re right, of course, joe t. it’s the same thing as me not wanting to eat at quizno’s because of all their commercials. i was an advertising major in undergrad. and yes, most of what the SBC does as far as marketing makes me gag. the UMC- now they’ve got some kind of marketing group. i do think the SBC needs to sit down and decide whether they want to be the country club convention or be a relevant convention- but i’ve become increasingly convinced that it’s the small few in nashville who are isolated who make the bad decisions. yes, there are others who are politicians within the big [if just by name] churches, but for the most part, it’s those who aren’t on the streets.

    that brings me to another thing that involves the CP. it’s off topic, but i’m pretty much pleading for people to hear us on this now. it’s called sole-membership. many SBC entities have signed on, because their state laws work well with the new charter. what is sole membership? well, look here: http://www.nobts.edu/SoleMembership/Default.htm. meanwhile, i’m begging you to understand this- sole membership does NOT work in the state of louisiana. the exec committee pretty much forced NOBTS to accept it, and at the SBC in June, messengers will vote. PLEASE do not vote to accept the change in our charter. Here’s why- if it is passed, if someone trips in our parking lot or something and sues NOBTS, thanks to louisiana law, that person has the right not only to sue NOBTS, but also the Exec Comm. and the CP. too much is done with the CP to allow some sue-happy person to come in and clean it out. and louisiana is like alabama- SUE HAPPY. hear me on this- if it’s passed, it’s an open door to destroying a lot of good mission work through NAMB and through the IMB. please at least look into the situation.

  • http://theram4jc.blogspot.com joe kennedy

    http://www.nobts.edu/SoleMembership/Default.htm

    that’s the link, i apologize, the one before has a period after it and doesn’t go directly there

  • http://justtodd.snowhill.org Todd

    embarassing …

  • Anthony

    Is this a joke…some form of satire? or are these people serious? I think it was a very sincere attempt to be disingenuous. This might get hip-hop lovin white kids trapped in a Southern Baptist suburban ghetto, but
    it won’t get the hood jumpin. The SBC would do better to contract out Kanye West.

    As a black man and a hip-hop junkie I was too speechless to be offended. I have to agree with your man Joe Thorn. This severly trivializes the gospel and hip/hop culture. Don’t get me started with hiphop.

    On second thought maybe I was slightly offended, but then I reflect black and think to myself about some
    of the last words of Jesus on the cross:

    “forgive them Pops for they
    know not what they be doin’”.

    Ant

  • http://thewellaugusta.org Wes

    When I first saw this I was upset as well…. It felt dated and especially cheesy.

    I shared the link with my wife who served on centerfuge camp staff for several summers during college and she was able to inform me that this video is SEVERAL years old. She remembers seeing it then.

    I agree that even then it was pretty cheesy but knowing that this isn’t something that’s meant for current use in an attempt to be relevant makes me feel better.

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