Professional Dissertations DMin

Date of Award

1990

Document Type

Project Report

Degree Name

Doctor of Ministry

College

Seventh-day Adventist Theological Seminary

Program

Doctor of Ministry DMin

First Advisor

Steven P. Vitrano

Second Advisor

Robert M. Johnston

Third Advisor

James J. North, Jr.

Abstract

Problem. In smaller churches the quality of the message delivered during the worship service on weeks the pastor is absent, is often reported to be weak and lackluster. Previous testing has determined that video instruction is as effective in teaching as live instruction. Presently, some pastors are reported to be using video in small churches. The purpose of this study was to determine if the videotaped sermon is a viable alternative worship form for small churches.

Method. Biblical, Ellen G. White, and contemporary worship literature were reviewed on the nature of preaching and worship. Five videotaped sermons were shown over a period of weeks in two small churches. Surveys before, during, and after this sequence recorded the responses of members toward the videotaped sermon.

Results. The literature revealed that a variety of methods, other than live preaching, for gospel presentation have been utilized in the past. The surveys indicate a generally favorable response from the members of the experimental churches in response to the occasional use of the video sermon when more desirable alternatives do not exist.

Conclusions. The videotaped sermon may be a legitimate and useful alternative worship form. It should not be regarded as an alternative to quality live preaching. However, it may provide a quality alternative to mediocre preaching or no preaching at all in the context of the worship service.

Subject Area

Video tapes in religion

Creative Commons License

Creative Commons Attribution-No Derivative Works 4.0 International License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-No Derivative Works 4.0 International License.

DOI

https://dx.doi.org/10.32597/dmin/177/

Download

Share

COinS