While I'm not sure of the extent of the ties to the church, I do think people in the organization do have personal ties, particularly the Benson family. It seems the extent of this is the Saints offering to advise the church to be frank and open about the list and proceed accordingly. I don't see what's wrong with that advice.
It's not like the church and the Saints are partners. I do think offering that advice in a formal capacity wasn't a good idea to begin with though. The Saints would do well to steer clear of this in the future. It's not like the staff can't offer personal advice in an informal capacity. But do it on their own time, not as employees of the Saints.