SHORELINE, Wash - Call it the Internet intersection of where Yelp meets Yahweh.
In their quests to better serve, churches across the country are subscribing to the local Web site Churchrater.com - where everyone from evangelicals to atheists are paid to attend church and post a review: Was the congregation too conservative? The pastor too preachy?
"Church is like inviting a bunch of people to your home for dinner," said Pastor Rose Swetman of Vineyeard Community Church of Shoreline, which subscribes to the service. "So, you would care about how kind you were, how hospitable you were."
Churchrater.com plays off America's consumer culture. The basic belief is that people appreciate a "product review" before buying something, especially if what they're buying is religion.
Jim Henderson started Churchrater.com. A Christian himself, Henderson says -- ugly as it sounds -- churchgoers are consumers of a product. Non-believers, he says, are still potential customers. Henderson compares Churchrater to other online rating sites like Yelp or TripAdvisor.com.
"TripAdvisor allows you to see the unvarnished truth about a hotel room that the hotel would prefer you didn't see," said the former Seattle pastor. "The unvarnished truth is what people tend to believe more."
The reviews can be rough. One rater castigates a local pastor for portraying himself as having a "perfect life," complete with the "perfect blonde wife." But if Churchrater.com subscribers are anything, it's forgiving. At least in theory.
Jim Henderson says Christianity has an "image problem" that many inside church walls simply don't see. He hopes his site will help people who are looking for a church to find a good fit, and help the disillusioned to try on something new.
"I'm here to hold a mirror up for Christians to look at, and see what people say about us," said Henderson. After all, he says, "church is a service industry."
To add a comment, please register or login.