Journal of Contemporary Ministry

Tuovinen, Juhani Ensio

Cultural Differences between Churches on Coming to Faith

Stevens, Kerrie

2015 Harvest Research Conference

Flett, Graeme Vincent

 
ISSN 2205-0442                                                                                                                               JCMin Number 1 (May 2015) 
  
Visual Technologies within a Consumerist Culture. 
Graeme Vincent Flett 
BMin(Laidlaw), MMin(Otago)                                                                                                   
National Coordinator of Internship Program; Director of Laidlaw Centre for Church 
Leadership, School of Theology Mission & Mission Faculty Member - Laidlaw College 
(New Zealand)                                                                                                                             
Contact: gflett@laidlaw.ac.nz 
 
Abstract 
The use of visual technology is now a familiar medium of communication in most 
churches across New Zealand and Australia. Its accessibility and effectiveness in 
branding has had wide appeal especially to those leading large churches, who are eager 
to promote their identity, enlarge the size of their existing congregation(s), and expand 
influence within a consumerist–culture of lifestyle choices. Large Pentecostal churches 
are some of the most adept at utilising and absorbing these visual technologies, and do 
so, to great effect. This creates a level of vulnerability within Pentecostalism which 
largely goes unnoticed – the hidden absorption of a consumptive way of being. The 
pragmatism of its leaders to be relevant within this culture creates its own blind-spot. 
This quest for relevance tends to negate the need for theological critique and a robust 
process by which to evaluate various visual technologies thus allowing elements of 
secularity the scope to shape and re-shape congregational identity.  
In this paper I discuss to what extent these visual technologies (an aberration of 
contemporary culture) are shaping a Pentecostal ecclesia and the behavioural patterns 
of its participants.  A brief explanation of how images work is offered. This is followed 
by a case study of East Auckland Elim Christian Centre (EE) and its use of visual 
technologies.  (EE is one of the largest churches in Auckland). The paper argues that 
while EE is very effective in communicating its identity and vision, its absorption of 
visual advertising practices (and thus of popular culture) makes it susceptible to the 
secular forces that run counter to the gospel, and may even in time, undermine the 
integrity of its own vision. 
 
 


English

Visual Technologies within a Consumerist Culture

Newton, Jon K.

  
ISSN 2205-0442                                                                                                                      JCMin Number 1 (May 2015) 
 ii 
About This Journal 
 
Editorial Board 
The Editorial Board of the Journal of Contemporary Ministry is comprised of: 
Professor Emeritus Gary D. 
Bouma, AM - Monash University; 
former Chair of Harvest Bible 
College Academic Board; Sociologist; 
prolific author. 
Rev Dr Peter Carblis - Conjoint 
lecturer for University of Newcastle; 
former principal Tabor NSW, 
Australia. 
Rev A/Prof Darren Cronshaw - 
Mission Catalyst – Researcher, 
Baptist Union of Victoria; Pastor, 
AuburnLife Baptist Church; Head of 
Research, Australian College of 
Ministries (SCD); Honorary Research 
Fellow, Whitley College (University 
of Divinity); Adjunct Professor, 
Swinburne Leadership Institute 
Rev Dr Kevin Giles - Published 
author; retired Anglican minister; 
Adjunct lecturer for Harvest Bible 
College, Australia. 
 
Rev Dr David Jakobsen - Academic 
Dean, Danish Pentecostal Bible 
College, Denmark. 
Rev Dr Julie Ma - Research Tutor in 
Missiology, Oxford Centre for 
Mission Studies, UK. 
Rev Dr Cheryl McCallum - 
Principal, Tabor College Victoria, 
Australia. 
Dr Soong-Chan Rah - Associate 
Professor of Church Growth and 
Evangelism, North Park Theological 
Seminary, Chicago, USA.  
Rev Dr Michelle Sanders - Adjunct 
lecturer for Harvest Bible College; 
Missional church planter and Pastor, 
Kaleidoscope Community, 
Melbourne, Australia. 
Dr Juhani Tuovinen - Director of 
Teaching and Learning & Senior 
Research Fellow, Graeme Clark 
Research Institute, Tabor College 
Adelaide, Australia. 
 
 
ISSN 2205-0442                                                                                                                      JCMin Number 1 (May 2015) 
 iii 
 
Editorial Team 
The Editorial Team of the Journal of Contemporary Ministry is comprised of: 
 
Dr Jon Newton - (Head of Research & Dean of Postgraduate Studies, 
Harvest Bible College), Editor.  
 
 
 
Ms Kerrie Stevens - (College Librarian, Harvest Bible College), 
Journal Manager, Layout Editor.  
 
 
 
Ps Astrid Staley - (Adjunct faculty, Harvest Bible College; Doctoral 
candidate, Melbourne School of Theology). Section Editor for Pastoral 
Reflections and Student Articles; Layout Editor. 
 
 
 
Rev Dr Clayton Coombs - (Academic Dean, Planetshakers College), 
Book Review Editor. 
 
The Journal of Contemporary Ministry will act as a place for reporting research and 
discussing issues related to contemporary ministry, including related theological and 
biblical questions. 
Its goals are to:                 
• Stimulate informed discussion regarding issues faced by contemporary 
Christian churches and ministries worldwide; 
• Encourage research, including empirical research, into diverse forms and 
contexts of contemporary ministry and the practical, theological and biblical 
issues that arise from ministry practice; 
• Enable students and graduates in postgraduate Ministry programs to speak 
to a wider audience; 
• Build the credibility of Ministry as a field of study and research. 
ISSN 2205-0442                                                                                                                      JCMin Number 1 (May 2015) 
 iv 
The Journal of Contemporary Ministry will provide a specific forum for Harvest Bible 
College research students and faculty, and other interested people, to publish the results 
of their research. 
It will also provide a potential publishing venue for paper presenters at Harvest’s 
annual research conference. 
The Journal of Contemporary Ministry will contain these kinds of materials: 
• Peer-reviewed articles based on scholarly research (empirical or theological) 
into diverse forms and contexts of contemporary ministry, and the practical, 
theological and biblical issues that arise from ministry practice; 
• Pastoral reflections and articles that contribute viewpoints, based on 
personal experience or theological reflection, on contemporary ministry 
issues. These may be responses to articles from the Journal; 
• Book reviews and/or notes of new publications related to contemporary 
ministry; 
• Articles contributed by postgraduate students, which would also be refereed 
but may not come up to the level required in the first category; 
• A list of recent doctoral research theses completed on contemporary ministry 
relevant to this journal’s focus. 
The material we invite covers such topics as: 
• Results of empirical research into aspects of contemporary Christian 
ministry, e.g. youth ministry, children’s ministry, pastoral counselling, 
pastoral leadership, intercultural ministry, etc; 
• Theological and biblical reflection on issues that have arisen from the 
practices of contemporary Christian churches and ministries, e.g. 
manifestations of the Spirit, worship styles, leadership culture, interfaith 
matters, political and social engagement, etc; 
• Underlying theological questions that lie behind Christian ministry issues, e.g. 
the role of women’s ministry in local churches, ethnic identity, ordination, 
apostleship, etc; 
• Proposals for new expressions or forms of Christian ministry based on social 
analysis, e.g. how to reach specific sub-cultures. 
For further information, please visit the journal website 
www.journalofcontemporaryministry.org  


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Cultural Differences between Churches on Coming to Faith

2015 Harvest Research Conference

Visual Technologies within a Consumerist Culture

About This Journal

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