Real-live vs. video

Referring to an article in the Jan. 2 issue (“Most Americans prefer real-live preaching, LifeWay survey shows”) concerning people preferring in-person to video preaching, it would be interesting to know just who was contacted in the survey. Particularly since the results fly in the face of the results the Church of the Highlands, which is Alabama’s largest church, has seen. Starting just about 13 years ago, it now sees about 20,000 active members each week, at 10 locations.

Obviously video sermons pose no problems for them.

I can understand people in a conventional church saying they prefer doing things the way they do. But in an era when people can (and do) get a seminary degree online, I’m not sure the physical presence of a preacher is that important to the people we’re trying to reach, for what we’re tying to do.