Worship at Bible Tech Church Goes Big-Screen and Hi-Fi, With Direct-Deposit Tithing in 2009
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Technology director Bob Vender has a state-of-the-art audio studio and a video production room that use the same equipment that major television stations use. Six volunteer producers, directors and electricians operate the equipment for the church and reproduce its worship services on CDs and DVDs.
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Further, reports came in to this reporter that worshipers in the 3,000 membership Bible Tech Church, in Neodesha sent text messages to the cellphone of the lead pastor, DeWayne Simmons, the substance of which he then integrated into his sermon
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"Prayer is supposed to be a conversation," Simmons said. "We did this to help people engage in the conversation live during the service."
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Scholars and religious leaders say churches are ramping up their use of technology for a variety of reasons. Often, the leaders say, churches purchase sophisticated sound systems to accommodate elderly congregants. Projection devices are popular, too, for older people and those who find it easier to read lyrics and Scriptures on a screen rather than from a hymnal or Bible. So reports C.E. Charles, of the First Hi Tech Church of Portsmouth.
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Web sites, podcasts and an e-mail newsletter, and the church grows," said Scott Thumma, a sociology professor at the Hartford Institute for Religion Research in Connecticut, which studies trends in American churches. "This is not church like your grandparents did it. This has something to say about life today."
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Simmons, the pastor, at Bible Tech said he is not worried about losing worshipers. His concern, he said, is staying relevant in an age when Americans are constantly being stimulated by BlackBerrys, video games and high-definition television. "In the mind-set of the congregation, they may not think we are being current," he said.
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"Those who find the projection screens, elaborate lighting and booming audio too much can always stay home and go online, where they will find a growing number of religious sites, many of them operated by churches. " said Pastor Eric of the 925 member church in Lexington. His associates Chad and Kyle agree that they like BlackBerrys's and video games and high-definiton television for their ministry with the youth and young adults.
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"How can we break bread? We're not going to have dinner over the computer" says Rick W. Moon of the 125 member New Beginnings Community Ministry Center in Lucasville.
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"If technology is used as a crutch to create entertainment, that turns the congregation into consumers, and that's deadly from a spiritual standpoint." "If churches are not careful, Moon added, they could drive away worshipers.
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I understand that some people are protecting the churches that have started using CD's. and Podcast rather than recording the sermons and music on the cassette tapes. Oh, sorry, that was me. (
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Charity had to go into work at 4 a.m. Had a lot of time on my hand. Technology is needed in the church today, after all this is 2007 and not 1856.
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For the record this is a real story, but I have changed the names and places and some attendance figures. Scott Thumma is a real person.
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A little humor satire.
