No Small Endeavor with Lee C. Camp The Subtext: Should the Church Have Reputation Managers?
Apr 15, 2026
A dive into what happens when faith communities adopt PR tactics and brand thinking. Conversations about paid influencers, image budgets, and social media influence in religious life. Ethical tensions between preserving reputation and protecting truth. Historical examples of movements prioritizing image over accountability.
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Quitting The Secret Lives Over Ongoing Abuse Footage
- Savannah stopped watching The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives after violent domestic scenes and ethical concerns about ongoing filming.
- She cites a chair-throwing incident and learning producers kept filming despite knowing harm, prompting her to withdraw support.
Paid Influencers Shift Religious Growth Toward Branding
- Churches using paid influencers and brand tactics shift growth from organic witness to curated image.
- Savannah describes LDS Church paying influencers and hiring a reputation manager to place 'shiny' personalities front-and-center on social media.
Witness Versus Brand Management In Church Life
- Branding and reputation management conflict with the New Testament notion of church as witness.
- Lee invokes Thomas Merton to contrast humility that frees action from reputation with institutional spin that prioritizes image.
