The right-on reverend of advertising

The Church of England paid dearly when it started to ordain women, with some of its more traditional members walking out.

The Diary wonders if new moves by the CoE to ordain marketing executives will have a similar effect. One such high priest is former Unilever brand chief Thom Braun, who has been ordained, while continuing with his more earthly duties as a marketing consultant.

On top of that, Braun has written about his experiences in a series of books that kicked off with the bestseller Holy Orders, followed by a sequel, Free Spirits. The book’s protagonist is CoE priest Michael Dunn, who drives a BMW, wears polka dot clerical shirts and works as an account handler at an advertising agency. That, surely, is enough to make the faithful desert the flock.