United Methodists launch $20 million ad campaign
Published 8:37 pm Tuesday, May 5, 2009
The United Methodist Church has launched a $20 million advertising campaign aimed at attracting younger members to the nation’s second largest denomination.
The new ads — television, radio, print and new media — will appear during the next four years as part of the “Rethink Church” campaign, beginning this week.
Like other mainline Protestant denominations, the United Methodists have seen membership dwindle over the last several years. Non-denominational churches are gaining, and those people unaffiliated with a church are growing.
Spokesman Larry Hollon says the median age for a United Methodist member is 57, and the church needs to engage young adults more.
The Nashville-based United Methodists have close to 7.9 million members in the U.S. In 1999, the U.S. number was around 8.4 million.