Springhill Missionary Baptist Church
Producing Maturing Believers
LA’KENDRA D. GARRISON
Public Relations Master of Arts Program
Full Sail University
Producing Maturing Believers
LA’KENDRA D. GARRISON
Public Relations Master of Arts Program
Full Sail University
Over the last two decades the modern-day Christian church has seen a great shift. What was once a Sunday tradition has turned into a weekend option. A portion of this shift is due to individuals having negative and judgmental experiences. Springhill Missionary Baptist Church is the brand that will be reviewed in this final project in an effort to change the perspective individuals have on church and to increase Springhill’s engagement within a one-mile radius of its physical location. The anticipated results will reveal that a proper communications and PR plan that includes ads, social media, and other elements can improve the brand’s reach.
In 1886 the world was graced with many memorable moments. It was during the year of 1886 when Lady Liberty was dedicated by President Grover Cleveland to the United States of America. On May 8, 1886 the first serving of popular drink, Coca-Cola, was sold at Jacob’s Pharmacy in Atlanta, GA. It was also in the year of 1886 that the Springhill Missionary Baptist Church was founded by former slaves in Gainesville, FL. Since that time, Springhill has been a spiritual and community-focused pillar in East Gainesville for over 130 years. The mission of the Springhill Church is to “produce maturing believers”. In addition to hosting worship services twice a week, the church partners with community organizations and hosts a multitude of community events throughout the year. When asked about the structure of Springhill Church, Pastor Adrian S. Taylor share that the church is governed by the Bible, Baptist doctrine and church bylaws. Pastor Taylor has a team of Deacons, a board of trustees, and many volunteers to assist in the daily operations of the church. Springhill Church serves the city of Gainesville including local government. Funding for the church comes from its parishioners; however, board members have strategically invested money to generate additional revenue for programming needs. Declining attendance numbers show that even with dozens of worship centers in Gainesville, there are still so many people who need to be reached and encouraged about the intention of the local church. An effective PR plan will need to reach people where they are and speak to the previous hurts or negative experience they may have encountered.
Springhill Church has a plan for communications, but there is opportunity to get volunteers involved. The organization has a positive image and reputation in the community and is a trusted organization. The church has not set forth a PR campaign in the last three months but maintains a consistent social media presence with scheduled inspirational posts via Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Social media is also used to share scheduled events with parishioners and the community. The content receives positive feedback online from current members but does not appear to have a reach beyond those who are already familiar with the church. When considering an effective PR campaign, it will be important to create messaging that appeals to individuals who have not been previously introduced to the church.
Fifteen years ago, the population at Springhill Church was barely 100 members. Today the church roll is about 830 members strong, making it the largest predominantly African-American church in the city. The church offers over 30 ministries for partners to get involved in to assist moving the organization and the community forward. Despite Springhill being a religious center, the church has a great working relationship with local government agencies, banks, and businesses. The church facilities are ideal for law enforcement conferences and recognition celebrations. Elementary schools also host graduation ceremonies at Springhill every year. During the PR campaign I would like to understand why individuals who attend community events do not return for worship services. The anticipated response would be many individuals may not know if they will feel welcomed due to race or previous - or lack of – church experience. Through this effort, the desired outcome is for Springhill to be a multicultural worship center leading individuals to Jesus Christ. Pastor Taylor and the church stakeholders believe a strong communications plan and measurement tools will reveal where they are currently not as strong in their current efforts. Some issues that could be encountered is erroneously making people feel alienated who are engaged with the church today. It will be important to create content that will attract new people while retaining current engagement.
The target demographic for this campaign will be residents within a one-mile radius of the church address. In the last 6 years, the areas around Springhill Church have become populated with undergraduate college students and young professionals from multiple cultural backgrounds. It may be important to gain ideas and insights from students who are already engaged with Springhill to determine the best way to get the attention of their peers. Springhill Church receives lots of positive press in the local news and newspapers. Even if the residents in the target area have not attended a worship service at the church, they should have a positive attitude towards the church and its work in the city. Referencing positive news stories and highlighting such a great community partnership will be beneficial for a PR campaign.
Springhill Missionary Baptist Church is a great historical landmark in Gainesville. Strengthening their current communications efforts will assist in making them an even stronger church. It will be beneficial to tailor campaign efforts to target people who have experienced church hurt and other negative experiences in church. It will be important to dispel destructive images individuals have about the modern-day church. Focusing efforts on residents in the one-mile radius of the church is a short reach to test new marketing, communications, and PR efforts. If this campaign proves successful, Springhill Church should be able to expand the reach and move the campaign to target the entire city. The ultimate goal is to increase engagement and even the membership at Springhill Church through an improved and efficient PR campaign.
In 1886 the world was graced with many memorable moments. It was during the year of 1886 when Lady Liberty was dedicated by President Grover Cleveland to the United States of America. On May 8, 1886 the first serving of popular drink, Coca-Cola, was sold at Jacob’s Pharmacy in Atlanta, GA. It was also in the year of 1886 that the Springhill Missionary Baptist Church was founded by former slaves in Gainesville, FL. Since that time, Springhill has been a spiritual and community-focused pillar in East Gainesville for over 130 years. The mission of the Springhill Church is to “produce maturing believers”. In addition to hosting worship services twice a week, the church partners with community organizations and hosts a multitude of community events throughout the year. When asked about the structure of Springhill Church, Pastor Adrian S. Taylor share that the church is governed by the Bible, Baptist doctrine and church bylaws. Pastor Taylor has a team of Deacons, a board of trustees, and many volunteers to assist in the daily operations of the church. Springhill Church serves the city of Gainesville including local government. Funding for the church comes from its parishioners; however, board members have strategically invested money to generate additional revenue for programming needs. Declining attendance numbers show that even with dozens of worship centers in Gainesville, there are still so many people who need to be reached and encouraged about the intention of the local church. An effective PR plan will need to reach people where they are and speak to the previous hurts or negative experience they may have encountered.
Springhill Church has a plan for communications, but there is opportunity to get volunteers involved. The organization has a positive image and reputation in the community and is a trusted organization. The church has not set forth a PR campaign in the last three months but maintains a consistent social media presence with scheduled inspirational posts via Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Social media is also used to share scheduled events with parishioners and the community. The content receives positive feedback online from current members but does not appear to have a reach beyond those who are already familiar with the church. When considering an effective PR campaign, it will be important to create messaging that appeals to individuals who have not been previously introduced to the church.
Fifteen years ago, the population at Springhill Church was barely 100 members. Today the church roll is about 830 members strong, making it the largest predominantly African-American church in the city. The church offers over 30 ministries for partners to get involved in to assist moving the organization and the community forward. Despite Springhill being a religious center, the church has a great working relationship with local government agencies, banks, and businesses. The church facilities are ideal for law enforcement conferences and recognition celebrations. Elementary schools also host graduation ceremonies at Springhill every year. During the PR campaign I would like to understand why individuals who attend community events do not return for worship services. The anticipated response would be many individuals may not know if they will feel welcomed due to race or previous - or lack of – church experience. Through this effort, the desired outcome is for Springhill to be a multicultural worship center leading individuals to Jesus Christ. Pastor Taylor and the church stakeholders believe a strong communications plan and measurement tools will reveal where they are currently not as strong in their current efforts. Some issues that could be encountered is erroneously making people feel alienated who are engaged with the church today. It will be important to create content that will attract new people while retaining current engagement.
The target demographic for this campaign will be residents within a one-mile radius of the church address. In the last 6 years, the areas around Springhill Church have become populated with undergraduate college students and young professionals from multiple cultural backgrounds. It may be important to gain ideas and insights from students who are already engaged with Springhill to determine the best way to get the attention of their peers. Springhill Church receives lots of positive press in the local news and newspapers. Even if the residents in the target area have not attended a worship service at the church, they should have a positive attitude towards the church and its work in the city. Referencing positive news stories and highlighting such a great community partnership will be beneficial for a PR campaign.
Springhill Missionary Baptist Church is a great historical landmark in Gainesville. Strengthening their current communications efforts will assist in making them an even stronger church. It will be beneficial to tailor campaign efforts to target people who have experienced church hurt and other negative experiences in church. It will be important to dispel destructive images individuals have about the modern-day church. Focusing efforts on residents in the one-mile radius of the church is a short reach to test new marketing, communications, and PR efforts. If this campaign proves successful, Springhill Church should be able to expand the reach and move the campaign to target the entire city. The ultimate goal is to increase engagement and even the membership at Springhill Church through an improved and efficient PR campaign.