Sometimes does it feel like the most noticeable critiques of religion’s co-option of consumer marketing techniques are coming from the non-religious? Though eliciting better feedback for the sake of true hospitality strikes me as one of the Church’s better co-option options “God Is Watching; So Are Church Consultants,” NYTimes.com Ideas blog, 12 October 2008
Religion | Now churches are getting into market research, hiring consultants as “mystery worshippers” to show up on Sunday and evaluate “everything from the cleanliness of the bathrooms to the strength of the sermon.” It used to be that one mysterious presence to keep an eye on things was enough. [Wall Street Journal]
Nov 24, 2008, updated Mar 31, 2025