Two Mars Hill Churches Dispute Unintentionally Similar Logo

Seattle's prominent Mars Hill Church recently sent a letter to Mars Hill Community Church in Sacramento, Calif., church demanding that it change its similar name and logo, but now says the way it handled the situation was a mistake, Christianity Today reports. Mars Hill Sacramento, meanwhile, has promised to redesign its logo and website, even though the similarities were completely unintentional. Officials at Mars Hill Seattle, whose logo has been in use since 1996, had Mars Hill Sacramento's 2007-designed logo brought to their attention when a member asked if the two churches were connected. Elders sent a letter to Mars Hill Sacramento from a lawyer's office demanding a change of name and logo within two weeks, but "in hindsight, we realize now that the way we went about raising our concerns, while acceptable in the business world, is not the way we should deal with fellow Christians," they said. The name Mars Hill is not an uncommon one for American churches; its origin is found in Paul's sermon in Acts 17 and at least one can be found in many states, including Mars Hill Bible Church in Michigan, one of the most well-known churches in the country.