Now hiring: Episcopal church in (Dire) Need of copyeditor

It’s no secret that, as employers, churches rarely attract the best and brightest. That is particularly the case for non-clergy positions, which often comprise long hours, low pay, and numerous high-ego constituencies. But this paradigm is nowhere better illustrated than the Episcopal Church’s recent ad for a copywriter and editor, reporting to staff at denominational headquarters.

While I didn’t take the time to do a thorough review, the ad is replete with the errors that typically mark a group effort, with no final arbiter of what’s included or not included. Indeed, a cursory look reveals at least 18 errors, ranging from subject-verb agreement, to faulty time references, to content not compliant with the church style guide, to problems with capitalization.

Further, while it is mildly amusing to parse the ad while hoping that the church gets more value than it deserves with a salary not to exceed $42,500, there’s a more serious underlying issue, which is the message this sloppy communication sends to the world at large. Yes, the thrust may be the Jesus Movement, but this ad does little to further that goal.

To be sure, it’s hard to edit one’s own work, and I am no exception. Indeed, more often than not, I come back to articles after they are posted for some quick cleanup. But when a written piece like this is so replete with errors, it sends a damning message about the church and its goals for the future.

Anyone know a good copyeditor willing to work on the cheap?