Due to temporary closure of its historic building during the Covid-19 (Coronavirus) crisis, Methodist Central Hall Westminster (MCHW) has taken to live streaming their Sunday Morning Service, as a positive way to engage with their congregation and beyond. As the church’s in-house production service partner, White Light (WL) has adapted its pioneering SmartStage technology to provide a remote solution, enabling the congregation to still join together safely for their service on Sunday 29th March.
This immersive production environment will enable
MCHW’s ministerial staff team to address a global congregation directly from
the SmartStage, located in a sterilised space at WL’s Wimbledon headquarters.
No physical contact will be required, as viewers will be able to participate
from the safety of their homes, using the Zoom video conferencing service. This
is the first time ever in the UK that a dedicated broadcast facility will be
streaming a live church service and utilising SmartStage technology to achieve
this.
WL’s Technical Solutions Director, Andy Hook
comments: “Increasingly, our SmartStage is enabling and extending the reach for
many organisations who are having to find new ways to communicate with their
target audience. The system allows participants to see and interact with
content surrounding them, as well as each other, which adds an experiential
layer that has not been achievable with previous technologies. We are delighted
that SmartStage could be adapted for this purpose, as it will help bring a
sense of community spirit to those who need it.”
Deputy
Superintendent Minister at Methodist Central Hall, Westminster, Revd
Tony Miles, adds:
“Our first virtual service was streamed from our Chapel, to our YouTube channel
on Mothering Sunday and over a thousand people watched the live broadcast!
As our building has now had to close temporarily, we are thankful to our
friends at WL for helping us deliver such a technologically advanced solution
going forward. The backdrop will feature imagery familiar to the MCHW
congregation, and other familiar touchpoints to enhance the virtual reality
experience. From the SmartStage environment, everyone will clearly be able to
see me, as well as camera views of our ministry team. I will also see the faces
of others as they take part in the service, so we will all benefit from a sense
of connection and interaction. At a time when many are feeling isolated,
uncertain, and even fearful, it’s wonderful that we can continue to worship and
provide some comfort and hope, using this incredible technology.”
Methodist Central Hall Westminster’s Morning Service on Sunday 29th March will be streamed at 11am (BST!) via their dedicated YouTube channel: youtube.com/mchwevents and their web site: Methodist-Central-Hall.org.uk