About the Organization:
Salem United Methodist Church (SUMC) is a small church located in Benton, Arkansas. As of 2023, the church has approximately three hundred members. The church traces its history back to the early 1800s, when it hosted its first outdoor revivals. SUMC focuses on supporting families, fellowship, and children and youth programs. They also participate in community outreach, such as volunteering at non-profits addressing food insecurity and homelessness.
SUMC website: www.sumcb.org
The Challenge:
The church encountered many problems when trying to access their logo files to create branded mugs, stickers, and t-shirts. These files dated back to the 1990s. Also, some church members felt the need for a fresh look to better appeal to younger generations of churchgoers. Recognizing this, I took on the task of modernizing the logo to attract a younger audience. In 2023, when I began this project, my mentor had already started the logo rebranding effort in 2022. I followed her lead, assisting her in council meetings and contributing my own logo design to the pool we created together. Many members of the older traditional generation were initially unhappy with getting a new logo (and some may still not approve), but several changed their minds and supported the rebranding once we explained its benefits.
The Result:
Following the discussions in the council meetings, it was decided that the new logo must have a dove, which refers to the church’s iconic stained-glass window in the church building. Also, based on a suggestion from a youth member, we included purple as one of the colors. The logo that received the majority of the final votes reflect both my decisions and those of my mentor. I illustrated the logo graphic while my mentor selected the logo’s font and colors. The new logo represents a modernization of the old design by prominently featuring a sans-serif font and cost-effective two-color palette. The simplified graphic is easier to use when reproducing print products. By combining elements from the church’s history with modern tastes, this logo appeals to the majority of church members and will likely attract younger audiences in the future. While logo design for religious organizations isn’t my focus, this experience proved to be valuable.
Ready to rebrand? I can help.
