Church of Scotland channels LifeChurch.tv
The Religion News Service just sent out a brief article saying that the Church of Scotland is considering ”virtual ministers” to stem a shortage of full-time clergy.
Upon reading the full story, it sounds like the church is taking an idea that Edmond-based LifeChurch.tv has been using to maximum effect for years.
The news service reports that the Church of Scotland wants to use virtual ministers who would preach over a live video link to congregations that do not have a permanent minister.
“Preaching by live video link to vacant congregations is one of many radical changes being proposed by the Ministries Council,” Gordon Bell, media relations officer with the Church of Scotland, told Ecumenical News International.
He said the report to the Presbyterian church’s May 21-27 General Assembly suggests the Kirk, as the Church of Scotland is known locally, should consider the use of video technology in churches which struggle to attract full-time ministers.
The Orkney presbytery, which has 21 congregations spread over more than 10 islands, will be used to test the program by linking four congregations in the archipelago with technology similar to video conferencing.
There are presently an estimated 190 full-time vacancies for clergy across Scotland, which has a population of 5.1 million, the RNS reports.
If successful, church officials say a number of congregations in some of the most remote parts of Scotland would be able to take part in the same service.
Meanwhile, at LifeChurch.tv campuses, whether they be in Oklahoma or beyond (Arizona, Texas, Tennessee, Florida and New York), people attend worship experiences with Craig Groeschel (pictured above), senior pastor, or one of the church’s teaching pastors, delivering the sermon via satellite. Groeschel typically delivers the message live at one of the church sites and this is beamed via satellite. They’ve been doing it for years.
Is this an idea whose time has come? Will we see more ministries doing the same?
If so, Oklahoma is well ahead of the game.
(PHOTO by Paul Hellstern, The Oklahoman: Craig Groeschel, senior pastor of LifeChurch.tv, sits in the sanctuary of the LifeChurch.tv headquarter campus at Interstate 35 and Second Street in Edmond in this 2005 photograph.)
Carla Hinton
Religion Editor
If you enjoyed this post, please consider to leave a comment or subscribe to the feed and get future articles delivered to your feed reader.
Comments
No comments yet.
Leave a comment