Phil Thompson & Steve Lacy | Church Solutions Podcast, Episode 480
In the ever-evolving world of church technology, names matter. That’s why in this episode of the Church Solutions Podcast, we take you behind the scenes of a long-standing name confusion that’s affected both our team and our customers for years: the mix-up between StreamingChurch.tv and ChurchStreaming.tv.
🎙️ The Backstory
StreamingChurch.tv has been around since 2008, but our journey started much earlier. Back in 2001, our founder, Steve Lacy, launched MyFlock.com, a web-based platform that helped church members connect through personal profiles and shared interests—long before Facebook and MySpace existed.
As the internet evolved, so did we. In 2008, we pivoted to video streaming, bringing many of the community features from MyFlock into our new platform—StreamingChurch.tv. We were among the first to offer a church-specific live streaming solution, and we even trademarked the name Streaming Church to protect our brand.
⚖️ Legal Challenges and Lessons Learned
As live streaming grew in popularity, other companies began entering the market. One such company launched a competing service under the name ChurchStreaming.tv, a name that closely resembled our trademarked brand. After multiple cease-and-desist letters and legal consultations, we found ourselves facing an unexpected legal challenge—they filed to cancel our trademark.
The situation was both frustrating and surprising. Their site looked eerily similar to ours, and some of our customers were even contacted by their sales team offering slightly cheaper services.
We had a choice: invest thousands of dollars and months of time in a legal battle or resolve things peacefully. After consulting with a trusted Christian patent attorney and prayerfully considering our options, we made the difficult decision to settle. We allowed them to continue using the name ChurchStreaming.tv—a decision we sometimes look back on with mixed feelings.
📞 The Ongoing Confusion
To this day, we still receive calls from people who think they’re using StreamingChurch.tv when they’re actually working with ChurchStreaming.tv, and vice versa. The confusion remains, but so does our commitment to clarity and service.
If you’re wondering, here’s the bottom line:
- We are StreamingChurch.tv.
- They are ChurchStreaming.tv.
- We are not the same company.
We’ve always focused exclusively on churches, and every team member on our staff has direct ministry experience. We don’t do concerts or football games—we serve ministries. Period.
🙌 A Heart for the Church
We’re not just a tech company—we’re a ministry. That’s why we offer more than just software. From webinars to blogs, podcasts, and resources, we’re committed to helping pastors, tech teams, and volunteers succeed in their mission. We understand your world because we’ve lived it.
Speaking of resources, don’t miss our upcoming free webinar:
Stream Smarter, Connect Deeper
📅 Monday, July 22nd, at 12:00 PM EDT
Discover how AI-powered tools can help your church deepen engagement online and beyond.
Sign up here →
💬 Final Thoughts
Looking back, the journey hasn’t always been easy, but it’s been worth it. We’ve learned valuable lessons about brand identity, legal preparation, and most importantly—staying true to our mission. We’re here to support churches, not just as customers, but as partners in ministry.
If you have any questions or just want to connect, reach out at streamingchurch.tv or chat with us directly on our site.
Thank you for being part of our story—and for trusting us with your ministry’s digital presence. Subscribe to the Church Solutions Podcast wherever you listen and stay tuned for more stories, insights, and tools for your church.