Does Technology Belong in the Church?

“We cannot adopt the way of living that was satisfactory a hundred years ago. The world in which we live has changed, and we must change with it.” — Felix Alder, Philosopher of Ethics

The world is constantly evolving and it’s becoming more and more difficult to avoid the technology that is a product of this ever-changing environment. This statement holds true for families as well as churches, including the Moravian Church. Although technology has spread extremely fast and, at times, can be very overbearing, it can be used for good. Our Moravian Churches use various technologies in different ways to enhance their worship services and reach people that would normally slip through the cracks.

The technology that the Moravian Church uses ranges from church to church, but may include computers; PowerPoint; projectors to show PowerPoint, VHS tapes, DVDs, and the internet; video conferencing; televisions; digital photography; and even a direct bank withdrawal for tithes and offerings that can happen on a weekly or monthly basis. Some Moravian Churches use this technology for Sunday school and other educational purposes, but they keep it out of their worship services in order to maintain tradition. Other Moravian Churches may incorporate this technology into contemporary services in order to attract new candidates to worship and provide a more current feel.

The Rev. Matthew Knapp and the Rev. E. Reeder Herrick of Sturgeon Bay Moravian Church, Wisconsin, use various forms of technology, but they keep it out of their worship services. The only technological aspect of their worship services is the recording of every service on DVD. They then make the DVDs available to individuals who want them. The recorded services are also broadcast four times a week on local cable access channels, which is an extremely valuable asset for the elderly and shut-in members and it also allows the church to reach out and interest non-members.

Sturgeon Bay does extensively use PowerPoint, DVD, and video conferencing for educational purposes. The Rev. Matthew Knapp said, “Most Sunday School programs in the Moravian Church fail to use any technology at all and in doing so completely fail the most important educational medium of the rising generation.” The Sunday school program at Sturgeon Bay uses a computer lab with a downloaded and adapted curriculum for its children. They also take advantage of the Bible education software that is currently available. This combination of the internet curriculum and the various Bible programs makes Sturgeon Bay’s computer lab the most popular aspect of its Sunday school program.

The Rev. Jason Graf of New Hope Community Church in Indiana and the Rev. Daryl Bell of The Promise Church in Ohio also use a variety of technology, but they use technology both during worship and during other church events and activities.

New Hope Community Church in Indiana uses a projector to project songs of worship, sermon points, and Scripture readings on the front wall during their worship services. They use software titled SongShow Plus for various tasks including slideshows to run announcements on the wall prior to worship. They also use video clips for sermon illustrations and use iTunes for prelude music. While this isn’t exactly a traditional Moravian worship service, the Rev. Graf and his congregation are still praising and worshipping God, they are just using a more modern approach.

During the worship service, which is held in an elementary school, The Promise Church in Ohio also uses a projector to project songs, unison prayers, responsive readings, announcements, and scripture readings. The Rev. Bell uses PowerPoint to illustrate his sermons and there are also sermon notes included in the bulletins. This Moravian Church often uses a few songs from the 1995 Moravian Book of Worship and portions of the liturgies, but rarely use the whole thing. Furthermore, they do not own any hymnals, but they still make their church work for them and meet their needs.

Bell approaches technology in a broader sense and from a perspective that may be new to some, saying, “Every Moravian Church uses technology in their worship services. It’s just a matter of the technology of what age or era. One of the greatest technological advances that has changed the world incredibly is the printing press. The use of the Moravian Book of Worship therefore is a use of technology. It just happens to be the technology of the 1500’s. Many congregations use microphones for voice amplification. That is also technology, and electronic to boot. People don’t object to that because it is old technology. Electric lighting is technology, as is central heat and air conditioning. I think people need to be careful about criticizing technology in worship, for if they look in the mirror they will probably see a technology user!”

While some members of the Moravian Church may disagree with the use of technology within worship services or the church altogether, benefits of the technology in both worship and education are prevalent. The various technologies help to enhance both the educational and worship experiences within Moravian Church settings. In both settings the use of modern technology provides much more interest to people who do not usually attend church or commonly called the “unchurched” as a demographic. People perceive and react to life and its components in various ways and by having contemporary services the Moravian Church is able to reach more people. The contemporary approach to worship services may seem like entertainment, but for some it is another way for Christians who may perceive and react to things differently to worship God.

Andrew David graduated in May with a degree in professional writing from Kutztown University. During the first part of 2006 he served as a student intern with the Interprovincial Board of Communication of the Moravian Church in North America researching and writing articles for “The Moravian.”