March 25, 2003
JEFFERSON CITY – Missouri Baptist Convention leadership (MBC) hopes the old adage about a picture being worth a thousand words applies to the new MBC logo that will soon appear on brochures, letterheads and other publications.
The new logo incorporates the state of Missouri, the world, the church, the cross and the Bible, calling attention to the five chief priorities of the Missouri Baptist Convention.
The logo was designed by Kari Wiens, a member of the MBC communications team. "It was a team effort by the executive team," Wiens said. "David Clippard (MBC executive director) was very specific that he wanted the five elements included. These will have a lot to do with his priorities."
Wiens said the color selection - green and gold - was his idea. Green, he said, represents growth and gold represents purity.
Clippard said the elements in the logo included input from the executive staff.
"The backdrop is the world because that is our mission field," Clippard said. "Imposed on top of the world is an outline of the state of Missouri. This represents the idea that it is Missouri’s task to take the Gospel to the whole world."
Clippard said the cross is the most widely known religious symbol in the world and represents the central message that Missouri Baptists need to spread to the world.
"We chose to place the local church in the logo because the local church is the focus of all our ministry," the director added. "It’s the local churches on the dirt roads and the larger churches on the super highways that God has chosen as the instrument to carry the message."
The Bible serves as a foundation for the MBC in the logo. Clippard said this represents the idea that the convention has chosen to stand solidly on the inerrancy of Scripture.
"Wherever Missouri Baptists go with this logo, we want the world to recognize where we stand," Clippard added.
Clippard said the MBC graphics team did an "outstanding" job designing the logo.
"We gave them some suggestions, but they did the rest," he said. "I really like what they did."
