By Lisa J. Streight*
March 5, 2008 | DAYTON, Ohio (UMNS)

A first-year student at United Theological Seminary, Jenny Smith is also "plugged in" technologically and believes that the church should employ 21st century multimedia tools to communicate a first century Gospel message.

That's why Smith, 25, is a perfect fit to pursue theological studies at United, where a new digitally equipped studio is just part of the classroom experience at the United Methodist-related seminary.

"Jenny is a digital native," says the Rev. Jim Eller, adjunct instructor for Digital Culture Media at United. "By that I mean someone who has been surrounded by technology all of their life. Traditional styles of communicating are too slow for them. Digital natives are multitaskers—always doing two or three things at one time."

Smith agrees that her generation's approach to worship and learning is profoundly different from that of previous generations.

"We've been bombarded with images, flashy media advertising, MTV, the Internet––a world in which we have to multitask," she says. "So it’s very difficult for me to sit quietly in a pew and listen to a sermon that’s only using one of my senses. I want to see things, hear things, feel things, smell things, and that’s not often offered in the worship settings I’ve been in."

United Theological Seminary has been involved in media communications since the 1960s. Before moving to its new campus in nearby Trotwood in 2005, the seminary housed the original public access channel for the Dayton area. The school created a communication center in 1973, and its communications curriculum focused on preparing students in religious programming and production techniques for television.

Now with a brand new digitally equipped studio, the school offers a series of classes about video and multimedia production to help clergy and others use multimedia tools to enhance worship, spiritual growth and ministry.

Students range in age from their 20s to their 50s, and course enrollment has tripled in the last two years.

A story to tell

According to Eller, as more and more people learn to communicate digitally, the church is challenged to learn to communicate that way as well.

"We’re really storytellers," says Eller. "The stories being told may not change, but the formats used to tell those stories will evolve as they always have. Continue telling the stories of faith in old formats, and you’ll find yourself talking to smaller and smaller groups."

In his classroom, Eller teaches people to understand the potential of new technology and how to use it. He emphasizes that you don’t have to like the new technology, or become an expert on using it. You just have to understand how it can be used in your ministry setting.

"After all, at one time books were the new technology. What if we had rejected them without understanding their usefulness?" Eller asks.

When Eller graduated from United years ago, he received a master's degree in religious communications. Now the program has been restructured to offer coursework but not a degree. Eller believes the changes increase the opportunity for more students to study digital communications beyond the few who are majoring or specializing in communications.

Smith is among those students. She wants to pastor a local church someday, but believes that worship should no longer be directed only by printed church bulletins.

"This technology is just another tool in our toolbox for how to connect people with God, just like singing and music is a tool," she says.

*Streight is director of communications for the West Ohio Annual (regional) Conference. Reed Galin, a freelance producer based in Nashville, Tenn., contributed to this report.

News media contact: Fran Goode Walsh, Nashville, Tenn., (615) 742-5470 or newsdesk@umcom.org.

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Resources

United Theological Seminary

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