Churches Media Conference Prepares Christians for Digital Era

"The future is digital and it is interactive." Those were the words of Andrew Graystone, Director of the Churches' Media Council, to hundreds of Christians involved in media and broadcasting who took part in the Churches' Media Conference earlier this week.

During his address, "The Churches' Media Council: Facing the Future", Mr Graystone stressed that Christians could not adapt to the digital revolution without taking the lead from young Christians.

He also called on Christians to play a "prophetic role" in the media industry.

"Christians need to have a prophetic role in the industry and I believe the industry is inviting us to play that role," said Mr Graystone.

Broadcasting leaders and Christians needed to work together more, he urged, adding that it was important for them to "do theology" together.

He also called for Christians to collaborate by pooling together skills and resources to ensure that they kept up with the digital revolution.

Mr Graystone also launched MediaNet as the successor to the Association of Christians in Media. MediaNet will act as an online home for Christians in media, offering chaplaincy, resources, advice and information.

Hundreds of Christians in media-related work from across the main denominations and a wide variety of organisations including Premier, Authentic Media, Channel 4 and the BBC took part in the conference at the Hayes Conference Centre in Swanick between Monday 11 and Wednesday 13 June.

In his opening address on Monday, the Rev Joel Edwards, General Director of the Evangelical Alliance and the Chairman of the Churches' Media Council, elaborated on the theme of the conference, "A Future and a Hope".

He reminded conference delegates that Christians outlined some of the challenges facing Christians in 21st century Britain, namely increasing secularisation, and a post-Christendom and multi-faith society.

He also pointed to some of the challenges coming from within the Christian community, as he advised Christians to drop what he called a "pervasive language of warfare" in response to a number of recent developments like the Sexual Orientation Regulations and the Religious Hatred Bill. "Let's do anguish, not anger," he said.

Rev Edwards challenged conference delegates to be the people who bring a future and a hope to Britain.

"God has called us to bring a future and a hope," he said. "There is a creative and prophetic contribution to be made in a society in need of a vision and a hope."

Conference delegates also heard from practising Christians, Andy Duncan, Chief Executive of Channel 4, and Mark Browning, Programme Director of leading London radio station Heart.

Both speakers were questioned on what is widely perceived among Christians as a lack of Christian programming on radio and TV channels.

Mr Duncan warned Christians at the conference that in the future it was "going to be harder to get religious programming, not easier".

He added that Christians needed to realise the power of marketing as a means to achieve their objectives.

"Church organisations that want to be relevant in the modern world ... need to take marketing much more seriously," he said.

Mr Browning, meanwhile, challenged Christians to be part of the solution by coming up with interesting Christian programmes.

Delegates were also invited to take part in various streams throughout the three-day conference, including one on the growth and appeal of online churches.

Nigel Stafford-Clark, the producer of the BBC's forthcoming series The Passion, also joined delegates on Tuesday night to share more on the six-part series to air during Holy Week in 2008.

He affirmed that his version of The Passion would not focus on the violence but the divine and "put the story back in its context".