February 2, 2005
Message on the airwaves
First Congregational Church TV ministry broadcast since 1985
By Carol South
Herald contributing writer
For the past 20 years, the elderly, shut-ins and the unchurched can tune in every Sunday morning for a dose of Christianity thanks to "Traverse City's Message and Music."
An outreach mission of the First Congregational Church since January of 1985, the 30-minute program features Dr. Gary Hogue, senior pastor of the church. Hogue, who tapes an introduction and closing statement on Monday, said his Sunday sermon as well as some music from the church's Sanctuary Choir fills the half hour.
"We wanted to be a low-key mission outreach for the elderly, the sick or the curious who wanted more information about the Christian faith," said Hogue, who has been with the church more than 20 years.
The program is broadcast on Sunday mornings at 10:30 a.m. on TV29&8 as well as at 8 a.m. on public access channel tctv2. The broadcast on the network channel can be viewed from Manistee to Canada and draws many watchers who never attended the First Congregational Church.
Sally Schreiner, visitation pastor for the First Congregational Church, talks with many elderly church parishioners who can no longer attend weekly services.
"They love it, it provides connection," she said, noting that as a resident of Manistee, she and her husband also watch the broadcasts. "It gives me a sense of being a part of something, even though I'm 65 miles away, because I'm not usually there on the weekends."
Schreiner said that although the weekly broadcast may cut down slightly on attendance, it is worthwhile.
"The point is not to grow people in the pews but to grown Christians," she said. "It keeps the flock connected and if you view yourself as a mother hen as a pastor, it makes you feel good because you've got them all under your wing."
Hogue, who helped in a similar ministry at his previous church in Dayton, Ohio, said First Congregational's program began during the scandals of televangalists Jim and Tammy Faye Bakker. These highly-publicized misdeeds helped shape the church's local mission: they never ask for donations and they don't offer healing over the airwaves.
"We made it clear cut that we're not into manipulating and not playing into people's fears or guilt," said Hogue, who over the years has received letters thanking the church for the broadcast or sharing how it has helped.
The church, which offers four services a weekend, including both contemporary worship and traditional, has a bevy of high-tech equipment on hand. This is thanks to a bequest from a member of the congregation, Elizabeth Morgan, whose family designated after her death that her donation be used for the media ministry. The media center is named in her honor.
"They were willing to risk that this wouldn't be that type of program," said Hogue, referring to the Bakkers. "We do promote some activities in the church, such as classes or special events, but beyond that we basically present the message."
David Russell, the media director of the church and Richard Lewis, the production director, tape the 11 a.m. Sunday service every week. They also tape and integrate Hogue's introduction and conclusion and create a finished tape for the two television studios. Each broadcast is of the previous week's service and the church has a 20-year archive of programs.
The original 13-week run of "Traverse City's Message and Music" in 1985 has grown to weekly broadcasts from September to June.
The media ministry now includes a control room stacked with taping, editing and duplicating equipment as well as sound production equipment. In addition to the weekly broadcasts of "Traverse City's Message and Music," the church has recorded in-house, produced and duplicated compact discs of music from their music ministries.