There's something terribly cringeworthy about an archaic institution attempting to bring itself up-to-date in the crudest of fashions. So, the Church of England's hip-hop radio ad, due to be released in the run up to 'Back to Church Sunday' on the 27th september, looks doomed to fail. 

Worse still, that failure comes at a cost. Parishioners are being asked to foot the bill for getting the ad played on their local radio stations. Estimates are that it will cost between £400 and £900 to get the ad on air, depending on the size of the station. Interestingly, according to Oxfam's website, £500 would pay for the care of 10 orphans in Africa for a year. Hmmm... 

In case you're in two minds as to the best use for church donations, below are some lyrics taken from the advert:

"Don't look to make no airs and graces, faked up smiles and masked up faces. No need to make no innovation, please accept this as your invitation."