A Message From Rev. Elder Troy Perry

Dear Saints:
From the moment of its birth in 1968, when God did "a new thing," MCC has been committed to innovation and cutting-edge ministry. And for more than 30 years, one of my roles as Moderator of this Fellowship has been to steer us from the comfort of the status quo.

In that role, I am constantly asking, "How do we keep our message and our outreach relevant and connected with people who need to hear our Christian ministry of hope and faith?"

God has blessed me with a desire to always keep learning -- and over the past year, I've learned a great deal about an art and science known as "identity systems". This is simply the way an organization -- or in our case, a church -- uses the best strategies to connect its message and mission with people.

During this past year of learning and study, we undertook an extensive process, which MCC Executive Director Jane Warner will describe in more detail below.

As part of this process, our research company asked us a tough question -- a question which every local church could ask as well: "Is it more important for you to retain the traditional use of your organizational symbols  (emphasis on protecting tradition) -- or more important for you to fulfill your calling and help people find your churches (emphasis on effective outreach)?

That puts it all in perspective, doesn't it?

One other thought: As we've been working through this process, you may have heard some words that we didn't learn in seminary or church conferences: words like "branding" or "marketing."

I love the explanation given by Jane Warner, MCC's Executive Director, when she recently wrote:

"Some refer to this as "branding" and "marketing" -- while others use terms such as "outreach" or "evangelism." In my book, these are interchangeable terms and they all have the same purpose: To help more people discover the "Good News" through Metropolitan Community Churches -- and I am convinced this will directly translate into increased attendance and giving in our local churches."

I believe the process of this past year has been a healthy one -- one which has birthed a new MCC logo, along with a complete MCC identity system, that will help represent our ministry to the world for many years to come.

I warmly encourage you to read through all of the materials below. I think they will answer many questions you might have and will provide you with much helpful information.

I'm excited about the new MCC logo and the impact the new system will have on our movement.

In Christ,
Rev. Troy Perry
MCC Founder and Moderator