When The Toronto Star and a Florida paper did a investigative series on The Prayer Palace the first of this month, one of the ways the church decided to deal with unwanted attention was to hire a well known Public Relations firm. Since March 12, 2007, I’ve counted seven press releases. Even one of the best pr firms in Canada can’t spin something from nothing.

The church board and staff sure aren’t saying who is paying for Strategic Communications Solutions, but the account executive is dutifully churning out pr’s.
Busy, busy.
Media isn’t biting.

I would not want this guy’s job.
This really is working with zilch.
Today’s offering:

Families at Risk of Losing Support from Food Bank

Prayer Palace spokespersons respond to the fallout of the Toronto Star allegations

Attention: City Editor, News Editor

(When a Prayer Palace lawyer makes silly threats to media; City Editor, News Editor isn’t going to give your react press release the time of day)  While a PR firms job is to deal with negative press, these releases aren’t dealing with substance. It’s pr drivel.

For the past several years The Prayer Palace has been working with a local food bank donating and distributing food to over 1,150 families in the community. This past year that number has grown to 1,272 families. “After the story broke out in the Star, I received information reporting that major supporters of the food bank were threatening to cut off their support,” says Sabina Escobar, a staff member at The Prayer Palace.

Finch and 400.
Yep.
There would be a local food bank (not connected to the Prayer Palace).
Churches in the area would help and support it. 
Local businesses and individuals would donate to the local food bank too.
Okay.
It is more than likely the local food bank is seeing an upswing in the number of families needing their assistance. That happens seasonally and for all kinds of reasons. We aren’t told over what period of time this uptick has occurred. And would it matter?

I received information reporting that major supporters of the food bank were threatening to cut off their support,” says Sabina Escobar, a staff member at The Prayer Palace

Hello.  
Major supporters were ’threatening to cut off their support’ to one of 25 staff members that drew salaries totally $825,000. Huh?
We aren’t told if these major supporters are members of the church or not.
My guess. If a staff member receives information, chances are pretty good it’s internal. One? Two? Twenty? 100?
We aren’t told.
Would it matter?
Does Christ tell his followers to withhold from their neighbours?
Just asking. 
Is this pr hyperbole?
Petulant gossip from unknown major supporters?
Veiled threats from the church to the local community and food bank?
Rhetorical.:^(

Throughout these years, The Prayer Palace has held quarterly food drives of their own at Christmas, Easter, Thanksgiving and 2 Can Sundays, combining a minimum of 1200 items raised per event with the food bank’s to help meet the needs of these 1,272 families.

These years? 
Since moving in 2004 and putting up and paying for a 22 million dollar building how many years and quarters would that be again?

This account executive is good - “The Prayer Palace has held quarterly food drives of their own”

Hello.
Most churches do.
Quarterly drives.  Combining 1200 cans or items.
Wow.
Quarterly is better than never if your church is part of the neighbourhood.
A survey of local churches and their support of the local food bank might make The Prayer Palace effort look stingy.
I don’t need to give to a church to give to my local food bank. 
Anyone can donate to their local food bank at the grocery store, The Salvation Army or walk in the door and drop items off off.  Anyone. Anytime.
A pr account executive is hired to make his clients look good, how other churches in the community are busy meeting the local food bank needs isn’t something he is going to dig into.

“Both the physical needs and spiritual needs of an individual are important to us and this is just one of the ways that The Prayer Palace addresses the physical needs of those in the community. As part of the ministry of The Prayer Palace we support and encourage our congregants to be involved in practical ways like this,” says Frank Fernandes, a member of The Prayer Palace board of directors, “And if support is withheld, The Prayer Palace will do everything it can so that families don’t suffer.”

I believe Frank.
I believe the Melnichucks have given him permission to speak.
I believe he believes what he is saying.
I believe Frank because he is one of two people told to speak to the public relations firm.
I believe Frank because he approved the PR firm account executive telling us where the 9,443 thousand dollars in charitable giving went in 2005. Possibly six local people benefited from the corporate church’s largess in 2005.
 
I believe that in a church which draws in nearly 3 thousand people who literally throw money at their minister’s feet; some of that money at least has to have the appearance of going to the physical needs of suffering local families.
It’s apparent from The Toronto Star article there are mature people attending the church giving just about everything they have to meet the physical needs of their neighbours.     

I don’t know what Strategic Communication Solutions charges per hour.
I don’t know what the the church is paying to put up press releases on CCNMatthews. If I went to the church, that is a question I’d want to ask one of the board or staff members. And I’d want to be able to ask without being threatened, ridiculed or dismissed.
These press releases are fascinating, I admit it, I go looking for them.
Sound and fury. 
They do nothing to address the systemic, structural problems, disciple believers or heal those wounded by this church.
This is like watching smoke instead of the fire.

Will the local food bank suffer if The Prayer Palace built further north tomorrow?
No.
Will the local need go away?
No.
Is  paying a prestigious PR firm an effective way to deal with systemic and core problems in an independent ‘prosperity teaching, positive confession’ church?
No.
But that isn’t what churches usually hire PR firms for.