Munroe
RENOWNED AUTHOR and television preacher, Dr. Myles Munroe, believes Christian television programming is suffering from "a creativity crisis". He also decries much of the begging for funds in which many television preachers are engaged.
Dr. Munroe was in the island two weeks ago for the first leg of the Gospel showcase, 'Fun in the Son', which was held in Ocho Rios.
A Bahamian, Pastor Munroe's programmes are shown on several television and cable networks including the Trinity Broadcasting Network (TBN). Yet he is critical of Christian television.
"I think Christian television has basically lost its creative edge Christianity is suffering from a creativity crisis and this has influenced the television ministry aspect of Christianity. I would love to see Christian television begin to explore the diverse creative possibility of communicating the same message. They can do it through short movies, sitcoms, talk shows, news shows, interactive youth programming, children's programming. Christian TV could deal with issues that affect people's lives like banking, finance, teenage pregnancy and AIDS.
"What's weak about Christian TV is that it is not creative, not versatile, not diverse in its ability to use all the available ideas. There needs to be injected in Christian TV some new fresh minds people who are able to communicate with society."
Yet some like, the Rev. Glenn Plummer, chairman of the National Religious Broadcasters which is based in the United States, argue that Christian TV's shortcomings are in large part traceable to the failure of the corporate world to sponsor such programming. But Dr. Munroe had a different take on that.
"I think that Christian TV has avoided the corporate world. They don't understand the corporate world. The corporate world is there to make money. Profit is the bottom line. And secondly, they like to associate with things that are successful. We have had lot of sponsors and support in many of our products and programmes. We approach communicating the gospel in a very creative and contemporary ways. I think the corporate world wants to communicate and wants to support but they don't want to be pigeon-holed as a religious entity. I think the key to attracting corporate support in the Christian media is that this media must approach the communication of the message from a non-religious point of view but yet a biblically-based one. And it is possible to do that.
"Many corporations and corporate citizens want to also support programmes that help to enhance good citizenship and moral messages. Because it is good for them. It is not a matter of the church not having a good product it is more the way they are packaging it," he said.
