Badges of honour?

It may just be me, but I've got a sneaky suspicion that church leaders are slightly prone to 'badges of honour' - things they don't mind mentioning (not too subtly) that they find edifying, usually self-edifying!

For most it's simple - it's numbers (A day in the life...of the numbers game) , but today as a group of local church leaders introduced themselves (and their churches) to our local MP I became aware, perhaps more accurately I was reminded, of another pervasive 'badge' - nationalities!

'A church of 150, we have 19 nationalities worshipping with us.'

'We usually have 60-70, with 10 countries present.'

'A church of 3-4,000 we regularly have over 40 nations with all five continents present.'

In for a penny, in for a pound; when in Rome etc... I introduced the Salvation Army in Stratford:

'We are a church of three with two nations represented.'

She seemed suitably impressed with our 'badge'(!) although I didn't get the impression she'd be rushing to canvas our 'congregation' when it comes to election time!