by Keith Judson

It's not unusual to find churches reluctant to embrace change - not least when it comes to new technology!

Preparing a new PowerPoint presentation, complete with video excerpts and music, I was thinking about what I'd do if the computer crashed or the church suffered a power cut!

I also remembered a rather amusing anecdote I heard a couple of years ago ...

The old organ at Stourport-on-Severn Baptist Church originally came from the manor house in nearby Ribbesford, where it was driven by a water wheel. When it was moved to Stourport the instrument was operated by a hand pump on the side of the organ. Clearly a task for a very fit member of the congregation!

Someone then devised a scheme which employed an electric blower motor, connected to bellows by the inner tube of car tyre and tied on with string!

The motor was controlled by a mercury switch which cut in and out according to the height of the bellows. The congregation were unaware of the switch’s operation during the hearty singing of hymns ... except on those occasions when the string broke and the inner tube came loose. You can imagine the kind of noise this made as air escaped rapidly from a narrow outlet! The poor organist (or one of the Deacons) had to dash (mid-hymn!) to the back of the organ and tie a knot in the string!

So, next time you have difficulties with your OHP, VDP, PA or whatever - remember that problems with technology are nothing new and keep persevering!

And don't be afraid to embrace change!

(I'm grateful to the late Arthur Watson from Stourport-on-Severn for the story of the organ. Arthur passed away recently, so this article is offered as a tribute to him and with sympathy for his family.)

Keith Judson, Regional Minister Team Leader