Churches and Capitalism: Corporate Sponsorship

At their essence, Christianity and Capitalism are incompatible, and thus I am leery of the question of corporate sponsorship in church settings.

A church I volunteer at holds musical events and programs in the evenings on occasion. When I go, I open the bulletin, and I notice about 2-3 pages of ads from local businesses. They are just well-wishes from the business, their address, and their tagline or whatever. Simple advertising and sponsorship of neighborhood projects. This is good sponsorship...or is it?

It's not just a local church. Luis Palau's huuuge DC festival has a full page of corporate sponsors to pay for all the flash, celebs, and communication efforts to get his festival off the ground. Admittingly, the event would never be as effective or flashy without those sponsors, who allow Palau to reach bigger audiences (though also drive away those of us who abhor those types of events).

Instances like these cause me to ask the fundamental question: What is the relationship between capitalistic agendas and church structures?

My church will solicit these corporate sponsors for their programs to pay for their printing and operating costs, and thus donations are purely for the church's ministries. In that way, corporations and local businesses sponsor the program, while allowing for donations to go to the church. Is this a good line to walk? Does this involve businesses pouring money into the community that they have as customers?

Palau's DC event is possibly a different animal (as it is not officially a denomination, but rather a Christian service). There is a ton of attention-getting items in there, most of which are only attention-getters, not actual operating necessities. Regardless of whether that is money well-spent, since money talks, does the religious event hear and obey? Are there provisions that only Chik-fil-a will be served as snacks? Should a church promote Amtrak's services(page 6) since they are sponsors? At what point is the Church endorsing a corporation in deed if not in word?

As one of my forum members pointed out, Christianity and Capitalism have two divergently different goals. Corporations exist to make money at all costs, Christianity exists for Christ who calls all persons to himself. Christ and money are not synonymous goals (though for some proponents of the Prosperity Gospel, they are linked), and anytime the Church is even considering choosing between Christian outreach and Corporate dollars, there is something wrong.

One counter-argument is not that Christianity should resist capitalism, but that it should subvert capitalism by using its greed for Christ's gain. An understanding of evangelism as meeting the public where they are and subverting those systems to point to Christ...what better place than the marketplace where advertising research can catch the person's eyes? Like God hardening Pharoah's already hardened heart, Churches can "with proper respect" use capitalism's greed to its own uses and subvert capitalism's system of advertising and sponsorship to draw people away from worshipping moneys or themselves and point them towards Christ who unites us all.

So, what do you think? Should churches have local businesses contribute by name to sponsor events? To advertise in bulletins? Should a church get into a contract with Coke to have a machine in their foyer in exchange for donations? Can there be a Pepsi Baptist Church? Should an evangelical event have sponsors that can sell their wares in the hallways outside or on the roads there?

At what point does Christianity submit to capitalism or subvert capitalism for the sake of the Gospel? And the flip side is also true: at what point does capitalism subvert Christianity to better find a target audience (We know Patriotism has subverted Christianity in parish's captive audiences)? How can we keep the church free from mitigating influences to be able to freely critique society and offer its own voice?