MARKETING JESUS
The complexity of the evangelical industrial complex
by SETH BOLLINGER
Did you know that a pair of Saint Laurent Men’s Wyatt Leather Harness Boots costs $1,095?
While mindlessly scrolling through Instagram one day, I was astonished to find a picture of these ridiculously expensive Saint Laurent boots on a very unique account. Strewn across the page were posts featuring famous megachurch pastors with screenshots of the prices of their particular attire. The account name was @PreachersNSneakers, touting 249,000 Instagram followers to date with their own
podcast and book by the same name. With the tagline, “The Lord works in mysterious Colorways,” this account has been controversial. [1] The creator of the account, Ben Kirby, recalled in his book that “[his] actions [to create the account] were purely meant as a joke, a way to process [his] own annoyance via social media.” [2] Soon the account became a place for disenfranchised evangelicals to bash these celebrity pastors for their fashion choices, and it has since become a platform for popular discourse about the balance between wealth and ministry.
With this background in mind, you can understand my bewilderment when I saw Steven Furtick, the pastor of the popular Elevation Church in North Carolina, rocking those $1,095 Saint Laurent boots. Elevation Church in many ways is the quintessential modern evangelical megachurch, with passionate preaching by the likes of Furtick, rock-concert worship, and nearly 30,000 attendees across 20 campuses.
When I’m describing a “megachurch,” I’m referring generally to a church with a 2,000+ congregant turnout every weekend that lacks a traditional denominational affiliation. Megachurches have become more common over the past few decades and tend to focus heavily on outreach and evangelism.
Now, the effectiveness of this approach to ministry is unquestionable: in their 2019 annual report, Elevation Church reported 30,687 decisions to follow Christ over the year, an incredible statistic that showcases the many positives of large church ministry. [3] But another astounding statistic is the annual revenue of the church: nearly $80 million in 2019. [3] Many commentators from inside and outside Christianity have raised concern about megachurches generating revenues of this size due to potential abuses of wealth, such as using church funds to buy private jets or, like in Furtick’s case, designer clothing. But revenues of this size are not uncommon among megachurches. Life.Church, the largest church in America, reported a 2019 revenue of $163 million in 2019. [4] The breadth and reach of the modern megachurch is overwhelming and possibly concerning.
“The breadth and reach of the modern megachurch is overwhelming and possibly concerning.”
What are we to make of this massive ministry of influencer-style pastors in designer clothing preaching sermons that take the form of self-help sessions with some scripture thrown in?
The megachurch model offers a ripe opportunity for studying the relationship between faith and marketing and can perhaps enable us to see how a culture of consumption influences our view of the gospel. It’s hard to deny the enormous influence that marketing has as something that we interact with on an almost minute-by-minute basis. Whether it’s the ads between our Snapchat stories or the large Apple logo on our MacBook Pros, marketing is one of the most intimate tools used by corporations to influence their consumers to buy certain products today.
Fundamentally, marketing is all about creating value for a brand. When a customer values a brand or product then they maintain a favorable attitude toward it, thus increasing brand loyalty and—eventually—profits for the company. Businesses determine their marketing strategies based on what they believe will generate the most value. These strategies can involve improvements to anything, ranging from the customer experience, to store layouts, to advertisements, to product offerings; all of these marketing techniques seek to maximize value to consumers. Peter Drucker, an influential management consultant of the 20th century, expressed that “Marketing is the distinguishing, unique function of the business.” [5]
Today megachurches might not be much different than businesses: integrated cafés and bookstores, comfortable lounge areas, and indoor playgrounds undoubtedly create “value” for new attendees. Modern megachurches show us that marketing is perhaps the most unique function of modern evangelicalism—or, maybe, the fusion of evangelicalism with capitalism. But what happens when capitalism and Christianity converge? In the early 1960’s, a very similar question was asked about capitalism and America’s military.
“Modern megachurches show us that marketing is perhaps the most unique function of modern evangelicalism—or maybe, the fusion of evangelicalism with capitalism.”
On January 17, 1961, President Dwight D. Eisenhower gave a farewell address to the nation in which he cautioned America about the potential for a “military industrial complex,” wherein the American military becomes integrated closely with large weapons manufacturers who then influence public policy. This level of singular influence could be attained by the unsettling marriage between military and industry which, Eisenhower warned, would create the “potential for the disastrous rise of misplaced power.” [6]
Borrowing from Eisenhower’s terminology, Skye Jethani—writer, speaker, and host of the podcast “The Holy Post”—now argues that there is a whole new category of industrial complex on the rise today; this he has dubbed the “evangelical industrial complex,” or EIC for short. [7] The EIC, Jethani proposes, is a self-sustaining cycle of megachurch pastors and Christian media companies that focus on churning out content based on their congregation sizes, social media followers, and guarantees for profitable products such as books and other media. Now, from a business perspective, this makes complete sense—when a publisher is investing in the printing of a new book, it is crucial for them to know that there is a market for it. But for modern evangelicalism, the EIC theory takes a somewhat cynical approach, claiming that Christianity has become commoditized, marketed like any other product, and packaged neatly in a 180-page book with a “living your fullest life” central theme. In this view, the modern evangelical industrial complex has decided to profit off of faith while becoming spiritually bankrupt.
But is this really true? As I scanned the lists of Christian Bestselling books in 2020 published by the Evangelical Christian Publishers Association, several of the books addressed incredibly pertinent issues ranging from relationship advice to leadership to daily devotionals. In fact, I noticed that many of these famous authors and speakers have influenced my own spiritual journey: Paul David Tripp’s devotional New Morning Mercies, for example, is a staple in my family’s household. Tim Keller, with his many bestselling books, has shaped my intellectual curiosity enormously through books like The Reason for God and The Meaning of Marriage—both of which, notably, have been bestsellers for years. Not all of these bestselling books may carry the historical gravitas of Augustine’s Confessions, but one still doesn’t need to look far to find famous modern speakers and authors who have positively impacted countless lives.
This is where I believe the cynicism of the EIC theory overshadows the potential benefits of the modern church structure. While profit may be the goal of many of these Christian media outlets (and a goal which, I would even argue, is a necessity in today’s society), these organizations genuinely seem to want to influence believers and nonbelievers alike to engage with their faith in new and refreshing ways. Additionally, megachurches that take in millions in revenue often allocate much of that money to church outreach and building expansions to fit the needs of even more congregants. Critics of megachurch pastors and famous Christian authors try to show that wealth is their nefarious motivator, but there is not sufficient evidence to make this judgement on a broad scale.
All that notwithstanding, the EIC theory draws another critique of modern evangelicalism that certainly has more validity: an overemphasis on consumption in the modern Christian megachurch. From the beginning of the capitalist system, consumerism has played a role in how each generation interacts with the products and services they use. As the cultural context has changed in the country, the marketing strategies of secular business corporations have too.
Today, companies are increasingly catering towards Generation Z, the world’s current high school and college-aged generation born between 1995 and 2010. According to the business consulting firm, McKinsey, Gen-Z differs from previous generations significantly with their behavior rooted in “the search for truth.” [8] Gen-Z has grown up in a context of social networking, digital narratives, and the ability to consume content at extremely fast rates. They find value in inclusivity, personalization, and activism, and expect corporations to offer all of these elements in their services and products. Possession and ownership are less important to Generation Z and businesses have been adapting to subscription models in order to keep up. In short, Generation Z is the most consumption-heavy and inclusive generation yet.
A consumerist mindset is built on a strong mentality of individualism and is fodder for corporate marketers and advertising firms. One only needs to look to social media apps such as TikTok or YouTube to see that content creation is at an all-time high. Why sit through a 10-minute video, or even read a few pages of a book, when you can watch roughly 10–40 TikTok videos in the same amount of time? Consumption is a part of our culture, and it’s not going away anytime soon.
While consumption has trickled into the evangelical church over many decades, the internet culture of the 21st century has made it easier than ever for churches to cater to new congregants using consumeristic marketing. Let’s look back at Elevation Church again. Upon visiting the homepage of their website, there are a few headings that catch one’s eye: “Let’s tailor your experience,” “There’s an eGroup for you,” and “This is church. Anywhere.” [9] This buffet of options offers churchgoers a personalized Christian experience that caters to their every desire and seems to embrace this consumerist culture, rather than push against it.
This catering to every desire comes in stark contrast to the New Testament, which makes it clear that disciples of Jesus are called to give up all of our earthly desires to follow Jesus. In the book of 1 Peter, it is written that “Since therefore Christ suffered in the flesh, arm yourselves with the same way of thinking...so as to live for the rest of time in the flesh no longer for human passions but for the will of God” (4:1-2). Consumerism is a desire inside every one of us cultivated by our culture and by our selfish motivations that should be resisted.
“Consumerism is a desire inside every one of us cultivated by our culture and by our selfish motivations that should be resisted. ”
Still, it’s important to recognize that consumerism in its best form is inherently a mirror of our desire to know more and more of Christ and to have a personal relationship with him. If marketing is fundamentally about catering to consumerism, then perhaps a church marketing Jesus in a beautiful, life-changing way can speak to this desire for “more” found in our consumerist society. The church operates within the context in which it exists; the adaptability to different cultures is a unique power of the orthodox Christian tradition that allows for incredible outreach and beautiful diversity within the body of Christ. But there is a fine line between adapting to the cultural context of the time, which can lead to evangelism and greater Christian influence, and ingratiating the church with popular culture, which can reduce the importance of orthodoxy and dismiss biblical teachings. When thinking about the church’s role in American consumerist culture, perhaps we need to reflect on how our own actions may perpetuate this culture even more than the truth of the gospel.
“When thinking about the church’s role in American consumerist culture, perhaps we need to reflect on how our own actions perpetuate this culture.”
I will be the first to admit that I am a consumer at heart: I love gadgets, and having more “toys” is a constant struggle of mine. I am easily swayed by products or services that offer me a personalized, tailored experience. When I start to really reflect on how I “market” my faith to others, it too may be characterized by a consumerist mentality: church-hopping, mindless scrolling through Instagram pages, and listening to mounds of mediocre Christian music. While an unfortunate reality, the Evangelical Industrial Complex is built into the way that we experience our faith nowadays. And yet this imperfect system has still given me opportunities to be challenged in my faith through new books, bring my non-Christian friends to a hip church, and lead worship in large group settings with simple, easily singable songs. While it’s easy to point out the flaws of the EIC, the positive side effects of it are pretty undeniable as well.
So, is it right for Christian pastors and speakers to wear designer clothing and for churches to generate large revenues? While it doesn’t sit well with me—and there is evidence for the inappropriate use of wealth in church cultures—I don’t really know. Marketing the gospel towards a culture of consumerism brings with it all sorts of messy situations where designer clothing signifies relevance rather than religiosity, or where nice sneakers are just a result of personal fashion choices. The fusion of capitalism and evangelicalism, culminating in the EIC and large megachurches, leaves us in a complex web of questions that we must sort through on a systemic and personal level. How do my desires get in the way of my humility towards Christ? But how do I also share the gospel with this young, social-media-crazed generation? Is profit a bad thing for Christians in ministry to pursue?
While marketing is all about creating value, we must remember that the value of our faith does not lie in wealth, status, or cultural relevance, but in the glory and grace of Jesus.
SOURCES
[1] PreachersNSneakers, accessed April 6, 2021, https://preachersnsneakers.com/
[2] Kirby, Ben. Preachers N Sneakers: Authenticity in an Age of For Profit Faith and (Wannabe) Celebrities. Thomas Nelson, 2021
[3] “Annual Report 2019,” Elevation Church, accessed April 6, 2021, https://elevationchurch.org/annual-report/
[4] “Life.Church,” Evangelical Council for Financial Accountability, accessed April 15, 2021, https://www.ecfa.org/MemberProfile.aspx?ID=22274
[5] “Peter Drucker On Marketing,” Forbes, accessed April 15, 2021, https://www.forbes.com/2006/06/30/jack-trout-on-marketing-cx_jt_0703drucker.html?sh=33792ea0555c
[6] “Ike's Warning Of Military Expansion, 50 Years Later,” National Public Radio, accessed April 21, 2021, https://www.npr.org/2011/01/17/132942244/ikes-warning-of-military-expansion-50-years-later
[7] Skye Jethani, “The Evangelical Industrial Complex & the Rise of Celebrity Pastors (Pt. 1),” Christianity Today, last modified February 20, 2012, https://www.christianitytoday.com/pastors/2012/february-online-only/evangelical-industrial-complex-rise-of-celebrity-pastors.html
[8] Tracy Francis and Fernanda Hoefel, “‘True Gen’: Generation Z and its implications for companies,” last modified November 12, 2018, https://www.mckinsey.com/industries/consumer-packaged-goods/our-insights/true-gen-generation-z-and-its-implications-for-companies#
[9] “Homepage,” Elevation Church, accessed April 27, 2021, https://elevationchurch.org/
SETH BOLLINGER
is a junior from Lancaster, Pennsylvania, studying AEM and Marketing. He enjoys reading, listening to podcasts, watching movies, and buying Apple products––in other words, he is a classic consumerist Gen-Z student.