Snubbed by network TV, the United Church of Christ turns to the Web to get the word out.

By Paul Barbagallo

When CBS and NBC refused to run its 30-second television commercial, the development office at the United Church of Christ was more than a little miffed.

The ad, which employed images of bulbous nightclub security guards standing behind velvet ropes in front of a church — railed against the perceived non-inclusiveness of Christian faiths. In rejecting it in early 2004, the networks said the message was too controversial and amounted to “issue advocacy.”