Companies Rush To Trademark More Church Jobs After Worship Leader Fiasco (April Fools 2023)
"Pastor" and "Youth Leader" now trademarked while "Church Janitor" remains unclaimed
Posted: April 01, 2022, 5:00 PM | Category:General Artist Tags: Source: NRT Staff Reports (KM)
Earlier this month, news broke on NewReleaseToday that multiple brands using "worship leader" in their names (like @WorshipProbs and @rogueworshipleader) were facing threatening conversations, cease and desist letters and copyright violation reports from Authentic Media, the new owners of Worship Leader Magazine, who claimed rights to the phrase "Worship Leader" through an awarded 2016 trademark (read more).
The news rocked the church and worship community, with multiple national reports from Relevant Magazine and Christianity Today bringing clarity to the drama that unfolded in real time.
Unfortunately, the trend to trademark church job titles has only gotten worse in the weeks since with the US Copyright Office fielding multiple requests to trademark other corners of the church office.
"Pastor" was one of the first trademarks to be issued, with "Youth Pastor" also being awarded a trademark later that same day.
"I feel like I have to be proactive with my job title now," said Pastor Jim Hoffman, who oversees The Promise Church in Little Rock, AK. "So I'm officially changing my role as 'Full-Time, Multitasking, Lead Ninja Of All The Things Jim Hoffman.' You can have 'Pastor.' This fits me better."
Other titles to have been awarded a US Trademark is Church Secretary, Children's Minister, and Pastoral Assistant.
Even titles considered too woke for Christian culture were not immune with ClergyPerson being trademarked alongside Clergyman and Clergywoman.
One church job that remains untrademarked is Church Janitor. "Job security," said Bob, Promise Church's part-time cleaner. "Sounds like whoever has the jones to be trademarking jobs in the church needs a nice slap in the face with my shiny new mop."
