The church and media

After 11 years as Religious Producer at BBC Radio Merseyside, Wayne Clarke is swapping the studio for the pulpit as a full-time minister at New North Road Baptist Church in Huddersfield.

His role might have changed, but Wayne is as passionate as ever about seeing more Christians not only work in media, but harness it to share the good news.

"Churches need to do more to encourage people to get involved in the creative industries," he tells us.

"Yes, we need good Christian teachers and good Christian lawyers, but we also need to support the creative people in our churches to go into the arts, entertainment and the media.

"Nowadays, these are the parts of our society which shape our culture and affect the way how people think. We can’t blame Eastenders for reflecting a poor view of the church if we are telling our young people to stay away from the big bad world of the media.

" In my work at the BBC I’ve encouraged young Christians to get involved in media production and I will do that in the church setting as well."

In an increasingly secular Britain, Christians more than ever are challenged to express their faith, particularly in their professional environment and it may be the case that Christians who want to work in creative roles and the media are put off by the prospect of such challenges.

Wayne says that it need not be that way.

"Although we have seen genuine examples of Christians being restricted in the workplace, most of the time Christian faith is welcome at work. If our love for Jesus makes us compassionate people and honest workers, most employers will be delighted.

"People who work in the media face the same challenges that we all face. Every single journalist I have come to know has worked with integrity. Good local journalists realise that they get the best stories by winning people’s trust and by being caring and truthful.

"There’s nothing to be scared of in working in the media or alongside media professionals."

For those undaunted by the prospect of working in such a fast-paced and competitive industry, Wayne has some advice.

"There are no shortcuts," he says.

"To get into the media and creative industries you have to have talent and work hard. You often have to get involved as a volunteer and prove your worth to the organisation. Get the qualifications you need, and still be willing to make coffee and do what you are told.

"Pray for the people you work with and get your church praying as well. At the same time be bold with your ideas. Christian humility doesn’t mean always dissolving into the background. Sometimes you have to take hold of the opportunities that God gives and make the best use of them."

That also goes for the church when it comes to its approach to media, he believes.

"Evangelism has to be person to person, but churches need to look for creative ways to reach out with the good news of Jesus and make better use of the media. We should be giving the media good news stories and develop relationships with local journalists.

"Most local papers and radio stations are looking for good, strong human interest stories, and many of these are under our noses at church.

"We also need to learn from the secular media in terms of our communication as the church. These days people have short attention spans and learn through pictures not words.

"What I also realised while working in the media is that we are often answering questions that people aren’t asking. We spend our efforts talking about salvation and eternity, while most people are concerned about coping with everyday life and finding a bit of peace."



This interview was conducted by Charlene Winkel