Beauty Tips for Ministers

Web Site Photo

December 8, 2009 on 7:15 pm | In Clergy Image | 3 Comments

Darlings,
In the midst of working on my doctoral project this evening, I went to a certain congregation’s website to check something about their history. I saw that their senior minister has an impressive photo in resplendent robes and looks elegant, professional, dignified and absolutely like someone who belongs in the pulpit of that venerable institution (or anywhere else, for that matter). Hair, perfect. Make-up, skin, lighting = expert. Expression, wise and knowing.

The Associate Minister’s photo is a smaller head-shot that features a shadowed face with flushed, sweaty complexion, bedraggled hair and a bit of body apparently clad in a rumpled cotton tank top.

This is really, really not okay. It was shocking, in fact. The contrast between the two images was actually disturbing, as though these two people existed on a different planet of self-respect and clergy image.

If you are in a multi-staff ministry, is there consistency among the images on your website? And that includes the entire staff, from secretarial to janitorial. If folks are featured on the website, they ought to be photographed equally well and with the same degree of formality. You should see to it.

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1. Ahhh but what about ugly/ user-hostile web-sites… you could set up an added site PB ‘beauty tips for web-sites’ [because, hey, a doctoral student is always looking for interesting diversions, right?]
   I’ve also recently been looking for particular historical material and encountered some dire online presentations of churches. I almost cried at some of them…

   Comment by Nik — December 9, 2009 #

2. I agree that ALL staff and leaders featured should be given equally professional profiles. While I see why the pastor will be first on a page, because after all, someone is in charge, featuring others is especially important to show the contributions of time and talent to God’s work are meaningful regardless of their expression. Is cleaning the toilets as much God’s work as giving a sermon? I sure think so.

   Comment by Jon — December 9, 2009 #

3. Hmm. Maybe some photoshop would help with the difference in images? I think it’s nice to have consistency in photographs, but it is difficult to do when one person has a pro picture, and another has a definitely not pro one.

   We are having all of our photos shot against the same background in the church. Whilst they aren’t going to be really amazing, they will at least be consistent and look like us, which is a good start.

   Comment by a — December 9, 2009 #

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