Australian Church 'OMG' Sign Grabs Public Attention

By Katherine Weber , Christian Post Reporter

February 9, 2012|4:20 pm

In an unconventional move, a pastor of an Australian Church has placed two signs reading "OMG" (Oh My God) on the outside of his Church, attracting the attention of the local community and sparking an Internet frenzy.

The Rev. Howard Langmead of St Paul's Anglican Church, located on Dandenong Road in Caulfield North, Australia, said that the church chose to post two billboards donning the phrase around its premises to "catch attention and be unexpected."

"People forget what they are actually saying when they say 'OMG'," the Rev. Langmead told the Port Phillip Leader. The term "OMG" is used in popular culture as an abbreviation for the exclamation "Oh My God," which many Christians traditionally see as offensive, as it uses the Lord's name in vain.

"We're reclaiming 'oh my God' for the church," he added.

Langmead contends that the church has received a large amount of attention since the two billboards were erected, saying that he has seen people stop and snap photos of the signs.

Also known as Southern Cross Ministries at St. Paul's Caulfield North, the church sits at the T junction of Glenferrie and Dandenong Roads. The "OMG" sign has garnered a lot of attention as a result of the heavy car traffic this intersection receives.

Pastor Jose Gomez of Tampa, Florida, self-deemed the "website pastor" because of his incorporation of technology and pastoral guidance, tweeted the Port Phillip Leader article featuring the OMG sign, re-quoting Rev. Langmead's quote "People forget what they are actually saying when they say 'OMG.'"

Meanwhile, another Twitter user Barbara Fischer of Melbourne tweeted a picture of this sign, saying "Dear Southern Cross Ministries, please pray for a larger vocabulary."

Quirky Church signs such as this one often times spark a mixed opinion from the public. Some deem them creative, while others say they are inappropriate for a religious setting.

Regardless of the reaction, it can be agreed that clever Church signs do attract attention. There is even a website dedicated to these signs: funnychurchsigns.org.

Despite dissatisfaction from some over St. Paul's attempt at being creative, the Church sports another sign that reads: "We pray, stuff happens."