Hot on the heels of the bit of chatter I’ve seen online about The 50 Most Influential US Christians, The Wittenburg Door has it’s list of Green Weenie Awards. (The Door is a satire site)

Pat Robertson wins the 2005 Green Weenie Award (he didn’t make The Church Report Magazine List this year:^) Let’s see. Of the 20 Green Weenies, 3 are on the Influential list. Really. Enjoy, and hopefully learn and discern.

The CEO of The Church Report popped into The Evangelical Outpost comment section and left this about his list:

It is interesting reading your comments. I wanted to clarify a few points, however. First, I would should say that we recevied over 150,000 nominations and I think we can all agree that this is a significant number.

The key to list such as this one, and you will note additions and subtractions from last year’s list, is that is should serve as a barometer as to what “Ma and Pa Christian” are thinking and who they feel are influential.

Remember, influence does not ask who has the best Theology, but rather who has been influential this year. If you look at list in these terms, it becomes more clear.

Best Regards,

Jason T. Christy
CEO, Christy Media, Publishers of The Church Report and the CR Daily

I’m not a US Ma or Pa Christian, or an ‘industry’ person and I’m not going to quarrel about a marketing operation and who makes a list. I’m skeptical about the numbers, but it is about money and subscriptions so I don’t care much, I’m not the target consumer.  Mr. Christy is on record as having turned down the position of executive director of The Christian Coalition, is in talks with CNN for a religious show, and hoping to build his media empire to leave Christianity Today in the dust. 
As well as The Church Report, Mr. Christy has a publication called The Church Executive. His other magazines include Church Business, Modern Car Care, PetroMart Business, and Marina Business Today  His about page states he has worked with both the McGraw-Hill Companies and Cygnus Business Media in consulting roles.

A marketer needs to make connections and build his business, and Mr. Christy is a marketer. Releasing lists may cause some chatter - the object of the exercise is to build an audience and sell subscriptions after all - but I don’t think Christianity Today has to look over it’s shoulder yet. Ma and Pa Christian might want to do a bit of homework before opening their wallets. A reader tried to spiritualize this list in BDBO comments, but I can’t go there. I posted this marketing attempt last year and watched reaction. I think this is sad, evangelicals come across as a sub culture of sheep with money. And the Pope is not American.

In addition to the above accomplishments, Mr. Christy’s Church Report sponsors Bible.com. I honestly don’t know what to make of that website. There are so many fingers in so many pies here - When you have jewellry right up there with books and ‘news’, to me it looks like one more online inhouse bookstore and direct marketing business.  Perhaps my US friends can clue me in.