PASADENA, Calif. (AP) - Hoping to connect with tech and Internet-savvy students, Fuller Theological Seminary plans to add its first chapels along with video and audio gear.
"Many people who come to church browse YouTube for two hours in the morning," said Fuller President Richard Mouw. "How can we preach the Gospel to people who are getting their news, getting their entertainment, in totally new ways from the 20th century?"
The Pasadena-based evangelical seminary, one of America's largest, has this answer: a 35,000-square-foot worship center that will house two chapels, classrooms, offices and performance facilities.
The complex centerpiece will be a 500-seat main chapel with 63 ranks of organ pipes, a grand piano and the latest in digital electronics to control house and stage lights.
Fuller officials say the attention given to sound and lights reflects larger trends in American worship that includes an emphasis on performance and a willingness to express faith in various ways.
In the chapel, panels on the walls and ceiling could be moved to enhance the sound of a string orchestra, while a sophisticated sound system could accommodate hip-hop performers dishing up a bass-heavy take on the Gospel.
The design also will allow for PowerPoint presentations. Movies and videos could be shown on two LCD screens. The worship center will also have rooms for composing, recording and editing performances.
"The church will always be asking what are the appropriate patterns of worship that dictate what we are trying to preach to people," said Mouw. "High tech is just going to get higher and higher. It continues to shape the culture, and 10, 15 years from now, it will have relevance to the way we communicate the Gospel."
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