A church in London is going the unconventional route in trying to attract more congregants: It decided to post parts of the lyrics of a song by hip hop artist Kanye West and other famous personalities as well instead of Scripture on its outdoor blackboard.
"You're not perfect, but you're not your mistakes," reads the recent quote posted outside St. Andrew's Church in Hornchurch, London, according to Christian News.
"Someone will always be prettier. Someone will always be smarter. Someone will always be younger. But they will never be you," another sign reads.
Both quotes were attributed to West, who also goes by the name Yeezus.
The church's leader, Rev. Barry Hobson, told Complex that they chose lyrics from West's song "Only One" because it was a good message that many people can relate to.
"The quote was chosen not because of who wrote it, but because of the content of the comment," he explained. "The quote 'You're not perfect, but you're not your mistakes' reflects the value that Christianity, and in particular Jesus, and places on the understanding of what it is to be human. In short, I found Kanye West's comment quite insightful."
The church has also used quotes from Winnie the Pooh, Winston Churchill, Mahatma Gandhi, and even Spongebob Squarepants.
Terry Keens, the 63-year-old volunteer who writes on the blackboard, said they are open to using quotes from controversial celebrities and religious personalities just as long as "their messages can be applied to Christianity."
"It's a more effective and inclusive way of getting people through the door than quoting Scripture," she told the London Telegraph. "You walk by churches and they have quotes from the Bible and people don't take any notice. Hopefully people might walk past and want to visit our church because we don't seem stuffy."
