Laguna Niguel, CA — Black Fox Media, the full-service marketing and communications agency built for organizations on a mission, today announced that Creative Arts Department (CAD), the brand and creative studio founded by former pastor Trenton Laffoon, will be merging into the agency. The merger takes effect September 1, 2026, with Laffoon joining Black Fox Media as Creative Director.
The move brings together two ministry-rooted teams and expands what CAD's clients — churches, ministries, universities, missionaries, and nonprofits — can access from a single partner. Where CAD has delivered brand development, creative direction, consulting, and workshops, those same clients will now be able to draw on Black Fox Media's full stack: video, social, ads, email, web, marketing strategy, and more, delivered by a team that comes out of ministry itself.
"Trenton doesn't just design for churches, he's pastored one. That's the same reason we started Black Fox: we were tired of agencies that act like vendors. Trenton is a partner in every sense, and his clients are about to feel the difference of having a whole team behind the work they already trust him for."
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CAD / BFM creative work
For Laffoon, the merger is a way to serve his clients more completely than a solo studio ever could.
"I built Creative Arts Department to be an extension of a church's creative department. Joining Black Fox Media means the organizations I serve don't have to choose between a designer who gets ministry and an agency that can execute at scale. They finally get both. My clients keep me, and they gain a team."
Laffoon spent nearly a decade in full-time pastoral ministry as both a pastor and executive leader before planting a church in the Chicago area and launching Creative Arts Department in 2023. After relocating to Kansas City, CAD grew to serve organizations nationally and globally, from small church plants to large congregations and startup nonprofits. That dual perspective — pastor and creative director — is what has set his work apart, and it maps directly onto Black Fox Media's own DNA.
Founded in 2021, Black Fox Media has become a trusted creative and marketing partner for mission-driven organizations. Its team of ministry-experienced specialists has helped churches grow through pastoral transitions, rebuild their communications from the ground up, and tell their stories with clarity and excellence. One long-term partner, CrossLife Church, grew 34–35% year over year during a pastoral transition that was expected to bring decline.
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Wide image — team, studio, or client collaboration
"In 23 years of pastoral ministry, I can confidently say this partnership with Black Fox has been one of the most strategic and most important to seeing the kingdom of God advanced."
The merger reflects Black Fox Media's vision to stay boutique and go deep — building an integrated, custom partnership around each client rather than scaling wide. Adding Laffoon's creative leadership and client relationships is a deliberate step toward that vision.
Black Fox Media and Creative Arts Department will operate as one team beginning September 1, 2026. CAD clients will be contacted directly by Laffoon to walk through what the expanded partnership means for them.
About Black Fox Media
Black Fox Media is a full-service marketing and communications agency that helps mission-driven organizations make their mission remarkable. Founded in 2021 and built by a team with deep roots in ministry, Black Fox Media partners with churches, nonprofits, and mission-driven businesses across brand, video, social, web, print, and strategy.
Learn more at blackfoxmedia.com