The United Church of Christ ( UCC ) announced on Dec. 13 that it was releasing two 60-second radio commercials to complement its TV advertising campaign, launched nationallyand with a bit of controversyon Dec. 1.
According to the organization's press release, one of the spots parodies the words of a traditional Christmas carol, with a chorus singing, 'O come, some of ye faithful, powerful and privileged, O come all ye special few to Bethlehem ... .' An announcer interrupts the music, saying, 'God doesn't invite some of the faithful. God invites all the faithful. So do wethe United Church of Christ.'
A second advertisement pokes fun at a perception that churchesperhaps unwittingly have secret, unspoken dress codes. In the commercial, fashion-show announcers describe the 'matching designer suits' and 'Italian leather boots' of the congregation as it enters a fictitious, clothes-conscious church. A narrator then proclaims, 'God doesn't care what you wear to church. Neither do wethe United Church of Christ.' Congregations may order CD copies of the ads by calling United Church of Christ Resources toll-free at ( 800 ) 537-3394.
The UCC's television commercials set off a national debate over the church's right to air the commercials after CBS and NBC deemed the ads 'too controversial' and insisted that the all-inclusive message amounted to 'issue advocacy,' something the networks say they do not allow. However, it turns out that a few CBS and NBC affiliates will air the ads.
According to another UCC press release, the UCC's 'controversial' message will soon air on a number of NBC and CBS stations, among others, owned by Mission Broadcasting Inc. Dennis Thatcher, Mission Broadcasting's Executive Vice President / Chief Operating Officer, said his company will air the commercialwithout chargeon its 14 stations in Indiana, Illinois, New York, Missouri, Pennsylvania, and Texas through January 2005. Some of Mission Broadcasting's stations and their network affiliations include KOLR CBS-10 in Springfield, Mo.; WBAK Fox-38 in Terre Haute, Ind.; and WTVO ABC-17 and WTVODT UPN in Rockford, Ill.