“To be trusted is a greater compliment than being loved.” George MacDonald
In August 1982, I met Phil Myers, Minister of Education at Council Road Baptist Church in Bethany, Oklahoma. Besides directing the church’s education programs, Phil was responsible for CRBC’s branding and promotional materials. I was tasked with designing a new church logo to be used in a series of TV commercials scheduled to begin running in December featuring pastor Wendell Estep. The next year, our family moved to Bethany and we became members of CRBC.
Throughout the 1980s, Phil kept me busy designing a variety of direct mail brochures, logos and printed materials related to outreach and church growth. During the spring of 1987, while working on a master’s degree in Church Communication from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, Phil was my supervisor during my internship at CRBC. Later that year, we rebranded the church for its new pastor Claude Thomas.
Shortly thereafter, Phil joined the staff of First Baptist Church in Hendersonville, Tennessee. In 1990, I designed a theme logo for the church, and I stayed in Phil’s home while I attended the 1990 Religious Communication Congress in Nashville.
A new logo was designed in 1982. Above is a simplified version embossed on stationery. The logo made one of its first appearances on a series of TV commercials that began running in December. Below is the logo as it appeared on a 1984 commercial featuring my children, Chrysi and Trey. (They are to the teacher's right at the table; child 2 and 5 in the close-ups.) Click on the image to watch the commercial.
Faith Alive was a fundraising campaign to raise $1.7 million for capital improvements, beginning in November 1983 and culminating May 1 - June 3, 1984.
Our Gift to You! was a Christmas brochure mailed to the community in 1983.
The Miracle of Easter, the first of several annual Easter brochures, was mailed to the community in 1984.
The Vision 5000 logo was designed for a membership growth campaign launched in 1984.
More than Meets the Eye was the theme of the 1985 Easter direct mail brochure.
All in the Family was a church growth campaign.
Easter at CRBC was the theme of the 1986 Easter direct mail brochure.
In 1987, The Dawning of a New Era Easter brochure was used to introduce the community to the church’s new pastor, Claude Thomas.
Handle with C.A.R.E. logo and icons used in a 1987 church growth emphasis.
A new logo and tagline was adopted by CRBC in 1988.
The logo and cover from a booklet celebrating CRBC’s 25th Anniversary.
Logo for an outreach emphasis by FBC Hendersonville in 1990.
Phil is one of the kindest men I’ve ever met and his unwavering trust made him a joy to work with. Phil entered the presence of the Lord in November 2023. I had the pleasure of visiting Phil shortly before his home-going. I look forward to seeing him smile and hearing his laughter again.