The first “director of hospitality and welcome” at an English cathedral has unveiled far-reaching plans to make its operations more business-like.
Mark Hope-Urwin, a former executive with the John Lewis deparment stores chain, has been recruited by Birmingham Cathedral to oversee a radical change to its image and branding.
His plans, revealed today, include a chain of city-centre wine bars and “loyalty cards” for regular worshippers to obtain discounts at the cathedral’s shops.
The new appraoch to attracting and retaining worshippers could become a blueprint for dioceses across the country.
Image and branding? [b] Image and branding??? [/b] When you have the Word of Life and the salvation of souls to offer? Nothing like selling your birthright for a mess of pottage (or, since this is advertising, a pot of message) (thanks to whoever said that originally).
Speaking of the moneychangers in the Temple!
Well, I know evangelical mega-churches with Starbucks in the lobby and many many churches with bookstores. Whether they give discounts to members, I don’t know. So xxplain the difference, without (please) resorting to anti-alcohol rhetoric inapplicable to Anglicans.
For the record, I think it’s a disgusting idea; but then, I think Starbucks at the church is pretty silly. Bookstores? I think not, but that’s a step above the social/fellowship aspects of wine and coffee.
whilst we must maximise profits in a country that provides so little and a church going populace that are not used to sacrificial giving…. but really you do wonder at how ‘commercialised’ and ‘secular’ the church is becoming. Once diocese employed priests- now they pay wapping salaries to lay people and charge us for the priveledge. I get quite disheartened at recieving a meagre stipend when many a diocese offers 30k + as norm. How valued do WE feel!?