Price is Right?
The Southern Baptist Convention meeting is also a captive audience for marketing and merchandising, and there was a "Price is Right" vibe in the portion of the coliseum that was offering products for Christians.
"T-shirts are all the way down to $5.97 for one more minute," a voice shouted over a loudspeaker.
LifeWay, a nonprofit agency which is part of the Southern Baptist Convention, sets up space for their products and other vendors who work with them.
Everything is for sale, from bibles to steeples to pews.
It's a must-attend event, said Terry L. Butler, the vice president of operations for Carpenter Bus Sales of Franklin, Tenn. His company sells buses to churches.
"It's right up there with the best of the shows," he said.
Several colleges also had booths. It's a good opportunity to catch-up with alumni and market the school to families, said Daniel P. Caldwell, the vice president of church relations for William Carey College, which has three locations in Mississippi and Louisiana.
"You're doing two things at once and that's good," he said.
Comments (3)
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As a former SBC congregant & pastor, I see the need for some of the things that are available at the annual convention. However, this appears to be no more than the bartering in the temple fiasco to which Jesus quickly handled!
Bigger is not always better!
Shalom
Posted on June 13, 2006 7:48 PM
I played Pontius Pilate in a production of "Jesus Christ Superstar" many years ago, and I recall the line "Come on in, buy some things if the price is right" in the "moneychangers in the temple" scene.
It is interesting to note the basic basilica plan on which most Christian (and, it turns out now, synagogues) is based was originally the equivalent of a Roman "mall", complete with stalls and arcades. "Et in arcadiae ego"?
Posted on June 18, 2006 10:12 AM
Missing word above, of course, is "churches".
Posted on June 18, 2006 10:14 AM