“To be trusted is a greater compliment than being loved.” George MacDonald
Ted Kersh became the first pastor of Trinity Baptist Church in Yukon, Oklahoma, in January 1980. A few weeks later, I met Ted and was hired to design the logo, stationery and Sunday bulletin for the newly formed church. This was my first project for a church in Oklahoma since moving from Texas in 1978.
Besides other design projects for the church, Ted allowed me to use Trinity as a testing ground for a Church Publicity Workshop I developed to educate church leaders about the importance of effective visual communication. The response at Trinity was so positive, it led me to conduct expanded workshops for three Oklahoma Baptist Associations during the 1980s. These workshops opened doors to churches across the state.
The Trinity Baptist Church logo and bulletin shell were designed in 1980.
In 1984, Ted moved south of Houston, Texas, to pastor a church. Michael Clayton, Trinity’s pastor in 1986, saw the work I had done for Ted and asked me to develop a new logo based on his vision and goals for the church. This included designing a theme logo and four ministry icons.
New logo designed for Trinity Baptist Church in 1986
In 1988, Ted returned to Oklahoma to pastor Village Baptist Church in Oklahoma City. He immediately contacted me to create a fresh look for the church, along with a direct mail brochure to introduce him and his family to the community.
In 1988, a new Village Baptist logo and theme were designed and used on bulletin covers and the front of a direct mail brochure.
An inside spread from a brochure mailed out to introduce Ted to the community.
The early work I did for Ted at Trinity opened the door to Village in 1983, where I completed several projects for the church while Michael Riley was pastor. So, when Ted took over leadership at Village in 1988, I appreciated him not only remembering me but also trusting me to continue designing promotional materials for the church.
Projects completed for Village Baptist Church prior to Ted’s arrival include:
A poster for Village’s Easter Pageant in 1983
A hand drawn logotype celebrating Village’s 25th anniversary was used on silver-foiled stationery and invitations in 1984.
In 1985, a cross-in-heart logo was created for a churchwide emphasis.
Although Ted has retired from the pastorate, he still remains busy speaking in churches across Oklahoma. Forty-plus years later we’ve come full circle and now worship at the same church.