ANONA’s NEW LOGO

Explain the physical elements behind the new logo? And where did the cross and flame go?
There is great religious and historical significance behind the design. The cross represents Christ’s crucifixion and resurrection. The circle represents God’s eternal love, and also represents both the community within Anona and the community that we serve through Anona. The four sections (behind the cross) symbolize the Wesleyan quadrilateral (scripture, tradition, reason and experience) as a model of evangelical theology. Some favorite elements of Lesley Thompson’s (the designer) are the infinity lines, which extend from the cross. The lines represent Christ’s never-ending love for us, as well as Anona’s love for the world, which extends far beyond our physical walls. About the cross and flame: the cross and flame is a symbol of the United Methodist Church. It has not always been a part of Anona’s history. In fact, the cross and flame symbol was not created until 1968 or logo. The cross and flame will still be a part of Anona in physical elements throughout the church; it will just not be part of the logo.

Why a new logo for Anona? And why now, especially since the United Methodist Church is already going through a great deal of change?
A new logo has been on the staff’s “wish list” for at least six years.Additionally, the old “logo” technically wasn’t a logo and wasn’t being consistently used throughout the church. A logo can quickly convey important messages, establishes the brand and identity of a business, and is crucial to the success of the company. Additionally, we wanted a way to celebrate Anona’s decision to move forward—beyond some negative media attention of the past. Finally, as explained at the State of the Church meeting on February 4, the decision to update Anona’s logo has nothing to do with General Conference 2020.

THE COLORS OF THE LOGO:

·       Red: Red is the primary color of the United Methodist Church. A deep hue of red is also used from Palm Sunday through Easter to symbolize the blood of Christ. Signifies action, fire, charity, spiritual awakening. It also glorifies the sun and the joy of life and love. In the Christian symbolism, it denotes the Holy Spirit.

·       Purple: Purple is a symbol of royalty. Purple also speaks of fasting, faith, patience, and trust. It is the liturgical color used during the seasons of penance, Advent and Lent.

·       Gold: Gold is used to symbolize the majesty of Jesus Christ, the Son of God. Gold, or yellow, is also the symbol of light and purity. It speaks of youth, happiness, the harvest, hospitality, love, and benevolence.

·       Green: Green is used to from Advent to symbolize the hope of eternal life. It is also the color for growth. Green also symbolizes the breaking of shackles, freedom from bondage. It is the color of fertility. In the Christian context, it represents bountifulness, hope, and the victory of life over death.

·       White: White is used to symbolize the purity of Jesus Christ, the Son of Man. White is the liturgical color of Christmas and Easter.

·       Charcoal: Charcoal, or black, represents the absolute, constancy, eternity, or the womb. Black is the liturgical color of Good Friday.

Sources:
Henderson, Charles. “The Significance of Color in Christian Symbolism” ©2004 September 16, 2004, http://christianity.about.com/
Fleming, George “Christianity” Produced by James Herbert and the Vision Factory. http://www.warble.com/BahaiArtGallery/ HTML/GeorgeFleming/Christianity.html

ADDITIONAL WAYS THE LOGO WILL BE USED

If you would like to provide feedback to Lesley Thompson, Director of Marketing and Discipleship, please email her. Thank you!