Type of Document	Thesis
Author	Williams, Trevor Curtis
Author's Email Address	tcw02c@fsu.edu
URN	etd-11102008-145507
Title	A Changing Worship Experience: The Emergence of Media Technology and Contemporary Worship in an Evangelical Church
Degree	Master of Arts
Department	Communication, Department of
Advisory Committee	Advisor Name Title Stephen D. McDowell Committee Chair Arthur A. Raney Committee Member Donna M. Nudd Committee Member
Keywords	Theology Media Richness Theory Auto-Ethnography Grounded Theory Sacred
Date of Defense	2008-08-20
Availability	unrestricted
Abstract The purpose of this research project is to examine the communication phenomena within a modern Evangelical church in the context of the emergence of a contemporary worship style and the increasing use of media during church services. The researcher intends to provide insight into the feelings and perceptions of the congregation members of the sample church as they relate to the changing landscape of worship within the Evangelical faith. The project utilized a qualitative methodology that includes interviewing, participant observation, and textual analysis. The data analyzed in this project were gathered from a Southern Baptist church located in a college town in the southern United States. The findings of this project are explicated in the chapters through the major themes that emerged. The first theme is the incorporation of “secular” elements such as media technology in the church service. The second theme examines a dichotomy in the way the congregants experience and perceive worship is discussed. The final themed chapter is the influence of contemporary worship on feelings of belonging and togetherness within the church. All together, the study finds that complex communication phenomena can be observed as a result of changing perceptions, expectations, and feelings in the congregants of the evangelical church studied in the project.
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