In 1979 a British group called The Buggles released a song titled, “Video Killed the Radio Star”. The music video for this song was the first video played on MTV at 12:10 AM August 1st, 1981 and then later the one millionth video on February 27, 2000. MTV killed the below average looking musician. Now, not only did you have to be able to sing you had to have the look as well.
I think the religious world is on the verge of the same dynamic. Many large churches have started something new, satellite churches that have no actual minister. What they have is a big screen that broadcast the sermon from the mother church. One church to pull this off was LifeChurch.TV. They even took it to another level and let you experience church online. I’ve never really explored their site to much, but the concept is growing.
The reason I see this growing is two fold:
1. The pool of ministers that can preach a great sermon is pretty small. I’ve been in church for nearly 12 years and the number of GREAT sermons I’ve heard is minimal. One of those was at a conference, so I’m not sure it counts.
2. Due to the ability to hear sermons from all over the world the acceptance of subpar speakers is shrinking. People may first experience God’s message online from a dynamic speaker, such as Andy Stanley. Then when they arrive in the church the minister gives a very basic message. Now there is nothing stopping a church in Cincinnati from having church in their own location but listening/watching the sermon from Andy Stanley.
So what you will start seeing is that very thing. You will have local churches with a local leadership that make ‘church happen’, but then a message from a speaker that may in fact be from the other side of the country. I think this is the next growth of denominations. So along side the churches of Christ, the Baptist churches, the Catholic churches you will have ‘Northpoint – Cincinnati East’
Which I think would empower the local leadership to not get so wrapped up in the Sunday morning experience, as that will be covered by the mother church, and then focus on the church experience as a whole. Small groups, outreach, and other community building activities. It has the potential to remove a lot of the politics that fall around the church leadership structure.
So I wonder, will video kill the church minister?