How effective is a Holy Spirit-led sermon to a person who could not hear the pastor’s words? How meaningful is a beautiful praise song to a person who could not understand the words sung by the choir?
Paul asks in Romans 10:14 (KJV), “How shall they believe in Him of whom they have not heard?” In verse 17, he states, “So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God.”
While most Alabama Baptist church leaders agree that good sound is important in conveying the word of God to congregations, sound professionals say many churches provide less than adequate sound systems and acoustics in their worship centers.
“Some churches do not seriously consider the importance of quality sound and clear communication,” said Gary Swafford, director of new work and church building services at the Alabama Baptist State Board of Missions.
“They think if it was good enough 10 years ago, it’s good enough today. If it is still working, why do we need a new one?” he asked.
Since the purpose of the church is to proclaim the good news, speaking it in a way that people can hear it is the stewardship responsibility of the church, he noted.
“Communication is not complete unless the hearer can receive and assimilate the message so that they can respond,” Swafford added. “Sound is the instrument that effectively delivers the message in such a way that it can be received. Therefore, the equipment should be appropriate for the facility so that what is spoken can be heard by all present.”
Michael Thompson, president of Thompson Sound, Inc., in Trinity near Decatur, said churchgoers of any age can have trouble hearing and understanding the spoken word in church services due to hearing loss.
“Many elderly people have trouble hearing and can’t understand and hear the pastor or speaker [and] nowadays younger people have hearing loss due to playing music too loud or playing sports,” he said.
Good sound quality throughout a church facility is also very important in leading people to Jesus Christ. Noting the importance of having good sound in every seat of a worship center, Thompson stated.
“Even though worship services are designed for the saved members of the church, it is really more important for the few lost visitors that may be attending to hear each and every word clearly because that may be there only chance at salvation,” Thompson said. “Hopefully it won’t be, but we never know.”
Tommy Strickland, audio/visual director of Shocco Springs Baptist Conference Center in Talladega and former minister of music, agreed.
“The preaching of the Word is paramount to everything we do,” he said. “If you are having a lot of squeals and a lot of feedback [in your sound system] it is a distraction from worship and from people really understanding the Word.”
In trying to save money, many church leaders may purchase the wrong system for their facility.
As pastor of First Baptist Church, DeArmanville in Anniston, Strickland can relate to church leaders with moderate budgets who try to reduce costs in major purchases.
But Strickland feels that having good sound in church facilities is an investment in ministry.
“In most of the churches that I have served or been around, finances have been a major restriction to having good quality sound,” he stated. “I pastor a small church and we don’t have a lot of excess funds, but we know that when it comes to audio/visual, quality has got to be of utmost importance. It is good stewardship to buy good equipment. Someone once said, the bitterness of poor quality lingers long after the sweetness of a good price.”
Thompson agrees and discourages churches from selecting the cheapest alternative based solely on price. Similar to most decisions that must be made in the construction process, the lowest price is not always the best option to take, he said.
Unfortunately, many churches have good sound systems but have placed them in facilities with poor acoustics. “In new construction, the acoustics is as important as quality sound system installation,” said Thompson. “The best sound system will not correct poor acoustic design.”
Hindrances to good acoustics may include the architectural design of the facility, shape of the room, the presence of balcony and the type of seating, flooring and materials used throughout the area.
“A lot of times the architectural design is overlooked in acoustics,” said Chad Edwardson, sales and design associate of All Pro Sound, a sound company in Pensacola, Fla. “The sound is going to reflect the architecture of the building no matter what without proper acoustical preparation.”
For this reason, Thompson warns against placing more emphasis on the appearance of a worship space than its functionality. “Just because it looks good doesn’t mean it works good,” he said.
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