If the job of the church is to follow as closely as possible in the footsteps of a man from Nazareth who wore sandals, had hardly any money, and never used electricity or a motor vehicle, what use do we have for technology in a church? Instead of spending money on sound systems, lighting, air conditioning, video projectors and other equipment, shouldn’t we be selling it off and getting back to the basics?
Well, that depends on what you consider the basics to be. If you believe that the message of Jesus was fundamentally about being nice to other people, then I would agree that technology has no place in a church. But if you believe that Jesus has appointed us with special roles in fulfilling God’s mission here on earth, saving people from the consequences of their sin, then it would be foolhardy for us not to use the resources which he has given to us.
If we need to communicate the good news to others as effectively as possible, we need to do so within a cultural context which will maximise their understanding of the message. If people typically receive what they regard as true through the media of television, the internet, radio, and conversations with friends and acquaintances, then we need to be using the same media to communicate the timeless message. If we don’t speak in ways which people can understand, we won’t be heard at all.