CHURCH DRAMA AND CONSERVATIVE CHRISTIANITY:

DEVELOPING A DRAMA MINISTRY

AT BROADWAY CHURCH OF CHRIST

by

LAURIE L. DOYLE, B.A., M.M.

A DISSERTATION

IN

FINE ARTS

Submitted to the Graduate Faculty

of Texas Tech University in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for

the Degree of

DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY

Approved

December, 2002

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

I would like to express my gratitude to several people who have contributed to

this project in significant ways. I especially thank Dr. Norman Bert, who as chairman of

my committee, guided me through this process with tireless patience and positive

support. Special thanks goes to Dr. George Sorensen for inspiring the project firom the

beginning and offering excellent advice. I also wish to thank the other committee

members, Dr. Linda Donahue, Dr. John Stinespring, and Gerald Doher, for their time and

contributions.

I am very grateful for the counsel of Dr. Don Wilhams, who spent many hours

discussing the project with me and editing the work. I wish to thank my colleagues at

ECU for their support and advice. I also thank David, Benjamin, and Adam Doyle for

their patience and encouragement as I worked on this project.

11

TABLE OF CONTENTS

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ii

LIST OF FIGURES v

CHAPTER

L INTRODUCTION 1

n. BACKGROUND: THE CHURCHES OF CHRIST 14

The Church of Christ in America 20

The Church of Christ in Texas 23

The Church of Christ in Lubbock 24

Drama Ministries in Churches of Christ 26

III. THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE ADULT DRAMA MINISTRY

AT BROADWAY CHURCH OF CHRIST 35

Planting the Seeds 36

Watering the Seed 37

Germination 39

Taking Root 41

Steady Growth 42

ANew Sprout: A New Direction 45

Tending the Plants 50

Reaching Maturity 52

Ul

IV. CONCLUSION 53

BIBLIOGRAPHY 64

APPENDIX

A. MODEL: BEGINNING AN ADULT DRAMA MINISTRY IN

A CHURCH OF CHRIST 68

B. RESOURCES 94

C. CONGREGATIONAL SURVEY 97

D. PROPOSAL TO THE BROADWAY ELDERS 108

E. LETTER FROM BROADWAY ELDERS TO DISSERTATION COMMITTEE 112

IV

LIST OF FIGURES

C. 1 Results to Survey question 1. My age is. 100

G.2 Results to Survey question 2. I have been a member of the Church of Christ for. 100

C.3 Results to Siu-vey question 3. I have been a member at

Broadway for 101

C.4 Results to Survey question 4. Ihave. 101

C.5 Results to Survey question 5. I attend the. 102

C.6 Results to Survey question 6. I have seen the Broadway Adult Drama Ministry perform in the second service. 102

C.7 Results to Survey question 7. The quality level of the Performances I have seen in the second service has been. 103

C.8 Results to Survey question 8. I feel that dramatic scenes contribute in a positive way to the worship service. 103

C.9 Results to Survey question 9. I think the Adult Drama Ministry is fulfilling its mission as stated. 104

CIO Results to Survey questions 10-15. Do you think the ministry is meeting its stated goals? 104

C.l 1 Results to Survey question 16. I attend secular, live theatre performances. 105

C. 12 Results to Survey question 17. I think Adult Drama should be used in this second worship service to. 105

CHAPTER I

INTRODUCTION

From the early days of Christianity, the Church has been responsible at times for

the promotion and encouragement of theatre, and at other times for the censorship and

banishment of theatre. In the twenty-first century, more and more churches are finding

that theatre can serve a significant purpose in their ministry. Stephen M. Archer, in his

book How Theatre Happens, states that the German playwright Goethe proposed that art,

and therefore theatre, has three possible functions: (1) entertainment, (2) edification, and

(3) exaltation of the human spirit. Archer goes on to state, "Exaltation is usually

associated with religion rather than art, but scholars often point out the common origins

of religion and art, an attempt to define, order, imderstand, and thus control a dimly

perceived, often misunderstood environment" (9). Because theatre is also a form of

communication, education can be added to Archer's list of possible functions. As

Thornton Wilder points out, theatre is "addressed to the group-mind," as are most

religious worship services (Brockett, Essential 19). Gordon Bennett states in

Acting Out Faith:

Don't be put off by the theatre in my tide. There are still people for whom Christian theatre is a contradiction of terms, but the word theatre comes fi"om the Greek, meaning a seeing place. Certainly the Christian theatre we envision ought to enable people to see clearly. "Where there is no vision, the people perish," we've been told (Proverbs 29:18a, KJV). Like other art forms, theatre can improve our vision, h can help us to see ourselves in a new hght. Someone said that a good dramatist can help us find our souls— and it can hold the mirror up to our society. That makes it well worth dohig, even apart fi-om its power to amuse. (9)

One way churches are accessing the reflective power of theatre is through drama

ministiies made up of adult actors. Adult drama ministries take on various forms in

churches. Some are used only for special holiday events, such as Christmas pageants and

Easter musicals, while others are designed to perform on city street-comers to increase

interest in the church and its message. The most current ti-end, and the focus of this

writing, is on the development ofa small group of adult actors which will present full-

length, dramatic presentations once or twice a year outside of scheduled worship times,

and short dramatic scenes related to the sermon text in the worship services as requested

by the worship planning committee, thus creating an active drama ministry. Many

congregations of various denominations have successfully implemented drama ministries

for use as a teaching tool, as a method of encouragement, and as a wholesome form of

entertainment for their memberships, as well as giving their talented members a way to

use their gifts for the glory of God. These four areas of educating, encouraging,

entertaining, and empowering provide the definition and the goals for the development of

an adult drama ministry.

While several denominational groups have successfully developed drama

mhiistries, the Church of Christ is one rehgious group that is just now exploring the use

of theatre in the work of the church. The Churches of Christ are a conservative, Bible-

centered movement with over a million and a half members in autonomous congregations

all over the world and especially the southem and mid-westem United States. Stan

Denman writes, "Churches of Christ are fi-aditionally quite literal, 'reasonable,' cerebral.

and text-centered in Biblical interpretation, and Holy Scripture is looked to for answers to

every question in life, no matter how seemingly insignificant" (33). As a whole, the

Church of Christ worship service is very simple in nature, and few congregations have

used theah-e in worship or as a form of ouft-each. The ft-adition of the movement has been

very oral in nature, with a cappella singing, charismatic and often compelling preaching,

and oral prayers and scripture readings dominating the worship services. Classroom

teaching in Sunday schools has also been mostly oral, although there has been

widespread use of puppet theatre and role-play skits for classes of young children.

Although audiences at many secular theatre events are dominated by older adults,

in the Churches of Christ this group is the most resistant to changes in worship services

and the most likely to view any dramatic presentation within the worship service with

suspicion. For this older generation, a large group in the Churches of Christ, drama is

often viewed as merely "entertainment" and not appropriate for a respectful worship

setting. The use of dramatic material in Vacation Bible Schools (for small children) and

performances by touring college-age, improvisational groups have impacted the Sunday

school curriculum and youth groups but have not reached the adult level. As modem

society becomes more and more visual, educators of all types have seen the need to adapt

to generations that imderstand more fully if they see, as well as hear, the material

presented. The modem-day church must also adapt to these cultural changes in order to

educate and meet the needs of the younger generation of church members and theh-

children.

This sttidy will address the problem of beginning an adult drama ministry within a

conservative brotherhood, and within a congregation that has not participated in any

organized adult theati-e or worship drama before this time. Possible problems include the

following: the reluctance of the congregation to participate; the mistrust of the use of

theati-e in a congregational worship setting; and the failure to appreciate theatre as a

religious teaching tool. These issues will be addressed by the maintenance ofa long-term

relationship with the congregation and its ministry and by the formation of an active

group of aduh actors firom withhi the congregation, which can competently perform for

worship and special events. This study will demonsti-ate that an aduh drama ministry can

be established in a conservative congregation and become a useful tool for

encouragement and education, as well as a model for other conservative groups.

Many Church of Christ congregations use a ministry system to facilitate much of

their work. According to Rob Core, the elder who helped organize the ministry system at

the Broadway Church of Christ in Lubbock, Texas, a ministry is begun when a need is

identified, when there are volunteers who share a gift or an interest in meeting that need,

and when an elder and a staff member agree to oversee or nurture the ministry. This

organizational pattem can be found in most Church of Christ congregations. The adult

drama ministry discussed in this study will be considered estabhshed when it has been

(1) recognized by the church eldership, (2) assigned an elder and a staff member to

oversee the ministry, (3) assigned a mmistry leader, (4) provided a budget from the

congregational funds, and (5) acknowledged by the leadership to be an ongoing service

mmistry and a vital part of many worship services.

While the Church of Christ brotherhood as a whole tends to be anti-historical

and claims to be non-ti-aditional, recent shidies by church historians Allen and Hughes

find roots of the group's beliefs as far back as the Renaissance and identify many ties

with the English and American Puritans (6). The Churches of Christ's attitude toward

theatre can be seen to follow the same root system. A historical survey of the

relationship between theati-e and religion will illuminate the struggle of the church to find

a place for theatre and show the foundation for the Church of Christ's reluctance to use

theatre.

Acceptmg Allen and Hughes' conclusion, the historical survey of religion and

theatre begins with the Renaissance. The Renaissance in England was a time of great

religious and political conttoversy as families fought for the throne. Elizabeth I

determined to achieve peace for England and hi 1559 prohibited all plays dealing with

religion or politics. Debra Bruch writes, "Because the theatre influenced a mass of

people, because Elizabeth I at times used the theatre as a political weapon, and because

theatre demonstrated ungodly thoughts and actions, the Puritans regarded the theatre as

source and service to Satan" (8). Puritan influence kept play performances to three

weekdays and never during the time of worship services. The Puritans wanted James I to

simplify the Anglican worship services and eliminate pageantry and decoration. Instead,

he flaimted his wealth and love for spectacle in court entertainments, and under him,

theatre and the monarchy were inseparably joined in the minds of Parliament and the

Puritans. Under his son, Charles I, open rebeUion broke out in 1642, and after Charles

was beheaded, theatre was outiawed.

Puritans believed that theafre caused vice and kept men from working, hi 1577,

church authorities declared that sin caused the plague, and since plays were considered

"sin," plays caused the plague (Kuritz 195). On July 28, 1597, the Lord Mayor and

Aldermen of London petitioned the Queen's Privy Council to suppress all performances

in and around London because plays cormpt youth, provide hiding places for vagrants,

draw apprentices and servants away from their work, and spread diseases (Brockett,

History 183). Sir Philip Sydney in "The Defense of Poesy" (1583), however, defended

theatre as an effective way to teach morality and virtuous action. The Puritans continued

to equate the flamboyance of the theatre with the extravagance of the Roman Catholic

Pope and the Church of England's monarch (Kuritz 196).

During the Enlightenment, the monarchy overcame the Puritans in England.

Charles II's admiration for French culture led to the English restoration period. Theatre

for the upper class was witty, unsentimental, licentious, and "flaimted the demise of

Puritan control of English life and manners" (Kuritz 238). As the middle class took

over economic and poUtical power, the theatre became filled with morality, sentiment,

and pathos. Jeremy Collier's Short View of the Immorality and Profanity of the English

Stage (1698) stated that the theatre portrayed siimers as heroes, used obscene language,

ridiculed the clergy, and used the Bible profanely. Thanks to Collier, the English theatre

began to have moral instraction as its primary aim (Kuritz 238).

Theatre in America, however, was slow to develop because of attitudes brought

over by English immigrants. Puritans and Quakers associated the theatre with

monarchical forms of rehgion and government, and colonists were extremely suspicious

of actors and stage productions. As Kuritz writes, "Puritans had arisen in England to

drive sin out of their counhy, and 'symbolism,' associated with both the pope and the

theati-e, out of their Anglican church" (239). Puritans associated the theati-e with loose

living; they came from England to escape the licentiousness and obscenity they saw on

stage: "America was God's second chance for good people to create a sin-free society:

theati-e was the enemy" (Kuritz 239).

Presbyterians, Puritans, Quakers and other groups in the northern colonies united

in their opposition to the theati-e. In No Cross. No Crown. William Penn asked, "How

many plays did Jesus Christ and his apostles recreate themselves at? What poets,

romances, comedies, and the like did the saints make use to pass their time withal?" (qtd.

in Kuritz 239). Rhetorically implying the answer as zero, Perm would allow the same

number in his new community in the new world. Southemers were more hospitable to

the arts, viewed entertainment liberally, and were willing to pay for theatre. Amateur

theafre took root in Charleston, South Carolina, in the 1730s, but the arrival of

evangelists George Whitefield and John Wesley in the colonies aroused religious fervor

during the Great Awakening and ended the theatrical activity, which to the religious

mind, was concemed only with pleasure and financial profit.

As the United States grew, theafre followed the American movement westward,

but the righteous still found little use for the theafre. Contributing to this attitude was the

fact that, in the early nineteenth century, many actors were famous for drunkermess, and

in popular theafres the third balcony and adjoinmg bar were set aside for rough characters

and prostifrites (Blake 271).

Soon the Civil War created regional loyalties that affected both theatre and

religion. Escaping persecution in Europe, immigrants poured into the cities bringing

tiieir religious beliefs from their homelands. Looking for Utopia, various religious

groups, such as the Mormons and the Shakers, settled in rural America, some dying to

recreate the Garden of Eden and waiting for the Millennium. A number of Protestant

denominations, as well as Catholics, sought to spread Christianity across the continent.

As the American frontier was settled, religious missionaries were sent west, and churches

and synagogues were established. As preachers of the various sects planted churches in

almost every backwoods village, the influence of these men and their churches provided a

steadying, civilizing influence for the community (Blake 194). One such Protestant

group that became known as the Churches of Christ was led by Barton Stone and Thomas

and Alexander Campbell, who in the early 1800s left thefr own denominations and began

movements in Kentucky, Tennessee, Alabama, and Ohio.

In the cities where playhouses were being built and acting froupes were facing

less opposition, theatre tumed to romanticism. Romantic ideals of revolt, individualism,

and freedom of the spirit rejected the confrol of rehgion. The best American authors kept

away from the stage and wrote poetry and novels instead (Kuritz 297). In discusshig

American theafre, European writer Harriet Martineau reported, "The Americans have

little dramatic taste: and the spirit of puritanism still rises up in such fierce opposition to

the stage, as to forbid the hope that this grand means of intellectual exercise will ever be

made the mstrument of moral good to society there that it might be made" (qtd. hi Kuritz

289). Even educated Americans had trouble accepting the theafre because of the

enfrenched belief that it was unrighteous, hi the 1860s, actors were still considered

immoral, and many had reputations for brawling, insolvency, drunkenness, and divorce.

While the romantic writers tumed away from established religion, especially

Christianity, the advent of realism brought changes. As Norman Bert writes, "hi

Christianity, new frends in the natural and social sciences resulted in theological

liberalism. The social aims and aesthetic principles of realism merged to produce a

number of Christian plays" (Bert 25). Yet the theatre and the church rarely met on

common ground; they continued to view each other with suspicion. Much of realistic,

secular theafre dealt witii topics considered too shocking or distasteful for Christians, and

vaudeville houses presented bold burlesque shows with scantily clad girls to enthusiastic

male audiences (Blake 453), much to the dismay of the religious faithful.

As the U.S. moved into the twentieth century, world wars, the Great Depression,

and new technologies took their toll on religion and on the theafre. Congregations and

audiences became more sophisticated and more cynical. Individuals straggled with faith

in times of economic depression and global warfare. Churches looked to social reform to

meet the needs of people and comfort them in times of sweeping social changes, but

many individuals became hidifferent to religion, and even among those who practiced

their faith, many did so perfunctorily (Blake 546). At the same time, movies, and later

television, gave audiences new forms of entertainment and led to the decay of live

theafre. Much of the suspicion the Church had for theafre now tumed to demandmg

censorship for movies and television shows as audiences for these media increased.

By the middle of the twentieth centiiry, as American life faced rising secularism,

many churches were seeing declines in the number of members; however, the post

Worid War II religious revival helped the Churches of Christ grow at a phenomenal rate

for fifteen to twenty years. Some claim the group grew faster than any other religious

order in tiie United States at the time. While the conservative groups saw periods of

growth, the increase in numbers did not change the attitiide of many toward theatre, as

Debra Brach explains:

The puritanical philosophy of life and objections to the theatre linger within today's Christian arena. Within most if not every denomination, there are some people who believe conduct to be the supreme arbifrator in life.. ..Under this philosophy, objections thrive against theafre. The content of drama porfrays a false world; it is not real. Morally, the theatre is objectionable in both content and practice. It serves to arouse emotions which in tum hurt the spiritual life of the spectator. Furthermore, the theatre has no use. It does not function to help people behave morally, thereby does not help them become a righteous people. (9)

During this mid-twentieth-century period, the Broadway Church of Christ,

Lubbock, Texas, established a reputation for excellence and leadership in its brotherhood.

Broadway has a recognized fradition of forward thinking and innovative ideas. As a

large congregation, this church is respected as an example for the smaller churches,

especially in the southwestem United States. Under Broadway's ministiy system,

ministry leaders are typically male; women usually only serve as leaders in the areas of

women's ministry, children's ministiy, fellowship, or benevolence. Broadway is one of

the first Churches of Christ to employ a woman m a staff ministerial position as

Children's Education Minister. In addition, the writer serves as the Ministiy Leader for

the Aduh Drama Ministiy at Broadway. Broadway recently added a second Sunday

10

moming worship service to its schedule with the goal of reaching the unchurched of the

community by exploring more current trends in worship, including media and drama.

The unchurched are those who claim no religious affiliation. A successful adult drama

mhiistry at Broadway could become a model for other groups, as well as providing

opporttmities for members to use their God-given talents while educating and

encouraging the group as a whole.

This study explores the development of the adult drama ministiy at Broadway,

compares it to similar ministries, and examines whether the ministry is meeting its stated

goals. Expanding the infroductory material found in Chapter I, Chapter II mcludes brief

histories of the Churches of Christ in America and the Broadway Church of Christ in

Lubbock, Texas. This chapter will explore the roots of the Churches of Christ in history

and the hifluences that shaped the conservative views of the brotherhood. It will also

look at the significance of the Broadway congregation and its contributions to the

brotherhood as a whole. Chapter II also includes a discussion of current methods and

frends in on-going minisfries in congregations in Texas with similar backgrounds and

similar in size to the Broadway church. Chapter III fraces the development of

Broadway's Adult Drama Ministry from its beginning through the present, including the

goals of the mmistry and plans for the future of the ministry. The chapter looks at the

various productions of the congregation since 1997. Chapter IV summarizes the study

and assesses whether the ministry is meeting its stated goals. Appendix A includes a

model for establishing a working mhiistry. A bibliography and other appendices

conclude the study.

11

Welton Gaddy, in his article in the November 2000 issue of American Theafre.

points out that good theafre and good religion have a lot in common. Gaddy writes:

Both religion and theatre embrace a responsibility to thefr immediate audiences and to the community that forms the context within which those audiences gather. Each, religion and theatre, too often forgets this point because ofa tendency to be too insular. Over time, however, we ignore that which surrounds us at a high cost. The health of both religion and theafre depends to a great extent on the maintenance ofa self-critical environment in which we regulariy take long, honest looks at ourselves and carefully study our work. (19)

Margaret Miles compares theafre and religion to sibling rivals with common

purposes and common problems, and she identifies today's media culture as a common

problem for religion and theafre. She writes that neither is mindless "entertainment" for

the masses, because "both require participants and spectators to invest emotional and

intellectual energy if they are to receive the full benefit of participation in a liturgy, a

drama" (96). This same media culture has produced television evangelists who "work the

market, sacrificing actual community for virtual community" (96). Miles goes on to state

that both theafre and religion have a responsibility to provoke thought and conversation

about important life questions often ignored in today's capitalist, consumer society (96).

Other writers, such as Heidi Nelson, compare the relationship of drama and

religion to a marriage with many separations and divorces over the last five hundred

years (36). However, in many churches today, theatre is being mcorporated agahi as part

of the religious experience. Churches are being awakened again to the concept of theafre

as a teaching tool and a valuable asset. In his article, "The Dramatic Arts and the Image

of God," Norman M. Jones reminds us that God made theafre, and that it should not be

rejected. "Our call is not to withdraw from or to deny the physical world but to redeem

12

it. Our call involves redeeming the arts for the Christian and baptizing the imagination

for both artist and audience" (133). In looking for new ways to involve members, new

ways to allow members to employ their God-given talents, and new ways to reach out to

the community, the Broadway Church of Christ is begirming to view theafre as a friend

rather than the enemy of the past.

13

CHAPTER II

BACKGROUND: THE CHURCHES OF CHRIST

Emerging drama ministiies in Texas Churches of Christ represent a recent

departiire from the church's conservative fradition. The Churches of Christ have only

recently begun to consider drama in the worship setting as a tool for teaching or

communicatmg the values of the church. The values prized in this conservative

fellowship include the beUef in the inerrancy of the Scriptures, the need to restore the

New Testament church in contemporary society, and the belief that the Bible can be

rationally studied, explained, and followed. This chapter will trace the history of these

values and then discuss selected examples of recent drama ministries established for

teaching within the fellowship.

The Churches of Christ have a unique beliefjn and loyaltyjo the^ble, which

they view as inerrant and mspired by God for all generations to read and follow. Their

interpretation of scripture is most often literal. The Churches of Christ have no written

creeds or guidehooks other than the Bible and believe that the Bible provides "a complete

blueprint for all time laying out the details of church government, forms of worship, and

rales for behavior" (Allen and Hughes 23).

This view of scripture is part ofa long Protestant tradition dating back several

hundred years. The Protestant Reformation arose out of movements centered in

Germany, Switzerland, and England and asserted the principle "scripture alone," which

later became a motto for the early Church of Christ movement m the United States in the

14

1800s. The Swiss Reformed theologians, such as Zwingli, Bullinger, and Bucer, tiimed

to the Bible as a blueprint for living and placed a great emphasis on Biblical precedent,

views that greatly influenced the English Reformation and the English Puritan movement.

Following these early Protestant leaders, the modem Churches of Christ hold strongly to

biblical precedents and look to the Bible for answers to "every question in life, no matter

how seemingly insignificant" (Denman 33).

Once belief in the inerrancy of Scripture is accepted, the need to restore the

church to the New Testament example becomes evident, hi attempting to restore "the

one trae church," the Churches of Christ hold fast to the beliefs of having hidependent

congregations^^ach with its own leadership,^ a simple, fraditional worship style, andfijU-

immersion baptism. Dr. Tom Olbricht, church historian from Pepperdine University

states, "The Churches of Christ in America result from an indigenous American

movement seeking to restore the gospel and church of the New Testament. For this

reason the term 'Restoration Movement' has been employed as a self designation,

though this particular phraseology is not widely employed to identify these churches by

outsiders" (1). This idea of restoring the original Biblical church has led to the

conservative, sectarian nature of the group, but the basis for restoration dates back to the

English Puritans and before.

The Puritans were convinced that the welfare of England depended upon restoring

the trae church. "Church disciplme and organization must be restored, all of h patterned

exactly after that of Scriphire" (Allen and Hughes 44). The restorationist mindset of the

early American Puritans is expressed in John Cotton's book. The Ways of the Churches

15

of Christ in New-England. Several of his beliefs about church organization, such as

congregational authority and the spirittial rale of elders, are found in the Churches of

Christ even today, as described by Thomas G. Bost: "Accordingly, mdividual

congregations of the Churches of Christ have remained autonomous and fiercely

independent in matters of polity and Biblical interpretation. There is no pastoral

ordination or otiier clergy/laity distinction and lay leaders selected by the members

govern each individual congregation" (8).

In the late 1630s, Cotton helped translate selected Psalms for use in

congregational singing. He later spoke out against the use of instramental music in

worship. Even today. Churches of Christ, in the effort to return to earlier, Biblically-

based-practices^o not allow instramental music as part of their simple, unadorned

worship^services. As Stan Denman writes.

Much like modem-day Puritans, the Churches of Christ are comparatively stoic in worship style. Traditionally, the Churches of Christ recognize five acts of worship commanded and/or inferred from New Testament Scripture which must be carried out every first day of the week— singing (congregational a cappella), praying, preaching (with an invitation to obey the gospel extended to the lost), the giving of monetary contributions to the church, and communion commemorating the Last Supper. (32)

Denman also adds, "In worship there are no chofrs, no ahars, no candles or incense, and

no musical mstiiiments; there is no type of statuary and the mhiisters do not wear any sort

of clerical vestments (31-32).

After a time, the early American Puritans became convhiced that they had

restored God's instihitions and began to coerce any who disagreed with their doctiines.

An example is the case of Roger WiUiams, the founder of Rhode Island, who was exiled

16

from the Massachusetts Bay Colony for his beliefs, hi 1638 Williams became convinced

tiiat baptism required immersion; he and ten others were baptized to form the first Baptist

church in Providence, Rhode Island, hnmersion became a cornerstone belief for the

Churches of Christ and is considered an indispensable step toward salvation. Denman

writes, "Whereas most conservative evangelical Protestant denominations teach that one

is saved by repentance, confession, and belief or acceptance of Christ as one's personal

savior, the Churches of Christ teach that the final step of full-immersion baptism must

take place in order to be saved" (37). This belief is based on numerous Bibhcal

examples.

According to Abilene Christian University professor Randy Harris, an important

factor of the restorationist mindset is an exfremely high view of human reason (26). A

rational, logical approach to interpreting Scripture and to living a Christian life have long

been tenets of the Churches of Christ. Roots of this view can be found in the

Enlightenment. The Age of Reason began as a response to the religious wars caused by

the Protestant Reformation and the franslation of the Scriptures into the vernacular, which

opened the Bible to individual interpretation. Conflicts occurred between various

Protestant groups and between Catholics and Protestants. In reaction to the religious

wars of his time. Lord Herbert of Cherbury wrote De Veritate (The Trath) in 1624, hi

which his concem for Christian unity led him to propose that rehgion be reduced to a set

of essentials upon which all reasonable men could agree. This proposal had great impact

on the emergence of the Churches of Christ in the nineteenth century, hi his 1695 book.

The Reasonableness of Christianity. John Locke concluded that Christianity is a

17

reasonable faith and may be reduced to two essentials: "the Messiahship of Jesus and

obedience to his clear commands" (Allen and Hughes 79). The influence of the

philosophies of both Herbert and Locke can be found in the writings of Thomas

Campbell, one of tiie founders of the Churches of Christ, hi The Declaration and

Address. Campbell writes that Christians should

reduce to practice that simple original form of Christianity, expressly exhibited upon the sacred page; without attempting to inculcate anything of human authority, of private opinion, or inventions of men, as having any place in the constitution, faith, or worship, of the Christian Church, or anything as a matter of Christian faith or duty, for which there can not be expressly produced a "Thus saith the Lord," either in express terms or by approved precedent, (qtd. in Allen and Hughes 81)

The Enlightenment's scientific worldview also contributed the rational

perspective that the Bible is a scientific manual or blueprint to be followed and that any

religion must be rational to be defensible. The Churches of Christ have always built

sfrong foundations on rational thought, and in the past, engaged in formal debates in

order to challenge their opponents. Bost explains, "The hermeneutical principles

developed in the movement bear striking similarities to the methodological principles of

reasoning employed by lawyers and legal decision-makers" (5).

In the late 1700s in Scotland, Thomas Reid and Dugald Stewart led the school of

Common Sense Realism and taught that the "Bible should be freated as a compendium of

concrete facts, not as a book of absfract traths" (Allen and Hughes 84). This method of

Biblical interpretation became known as "Baconianism" after Sir Francis Bacon, tiie

founder of the scientific method. Alexander Campbell, tiie son of Thomas Campbell, was

a stiident of the Common Sense perspective during his stiidies at Glascow University.

18

Bost writes, "Thus, the Campbells emphasized induction as the way to ttiith and

knowledge in all matters including, most significantly the knowledge of God. The

leamer collects all of the data, the 'facts,' and then, utiUzing a process of synthesis and

compilation, draws appropriate conclusions from those facts" (4). And as Ralph K.

Hawkins declares, "Constincting tiiefr belief system using the scientific inductive

method, they [the Campbells] believed they had built a perfect doctrinal girding for the

faitii, and that if only other stiidents of tiie Bible would use the same approach, they

would reach the same conclusions" (25).

Their ti-ust hi human reason, their vision for restoring the New Testament Church,

and their unique faith in Scriptiire, have led the modem Churches of Christ to adopt

several conservative worship practices, making them reluctant to develop aduh drama

ministiies for use in the worship setting. In most congregations the worship atmosphere,

based on New Testament examples of worship, is calm, stractured, and orderly. The

emphasis is on a collective worship experience, and since no choir or instramental

music is utilized, little individual contribution is recognized. Almost all teaching in the

worship setting is done by way of studied, reasonable preaching, bom out of "careful,

responsible reading of the text and then coming to logical conclusions concerning its

meaning," intending to convince the sinner by "trath and argument" (Bost 4). The

emotional, cathartic elements of drama seem out of place in a rational environment and

are rejected by many because teaching by drama is not mentioned specifically in the

Bible and because arousing emotion is confrary to the reasoned approach. Even though

those ministers recognized as most dynamic in Churches of Christ employ techniques that

19

emphasize patiios as well as logos. Church of Christ worship is not to have elements of

"entertainment."

Anotiier reason Churches of Christ are reluctant to use drama for teaching is the

fact that women are not allowed to speak in the worship assembly, except in

congregational singing. Selected scriptiires from the writings of the apostle Paul are used

to justify the practice of women being silent in worship. Because of this, many of the

smaller congregations protested tiie emergence of Sunday schools in the brotherhood in

the early 1900s; they rejected Sunday schools because women were allowed to teach

children and other women (Hughes 219). For most mainsfream Church of Christ

congregations, women teaching Sunday school is no longer an issue, but women speaking

in a worship service remains very uncommon. Recently some congregations that have

begun drama ministries allowed only male actors in the worship service, but others have

added women to the scenes, as the congregational leadership approved. As will be noted

in discussing the active drama groups, female leadership has been employed hi directing

and coordmating the group in several congregations. For other congregations, this

practice is still seen as defying the Biblical principles of the church.

The Church of Christ in America

Out of this BibUcist, rational, restorationist atinosphere, the Churches of Christ

emerged in the early days of the United States. Thousands of people in America after the

Revolution sought to restore primitive Christianity. America offered the perfect place to

begin anew and throw off the traditions of the older state churches. The Restoration ideal

20

was especially appealing to Americans because of the wide-open, undefiled frontier

offering a new "Eden" for those seeking the primitive church. The democratic form of

government set up in America guaranteed freedoms unheard of in the "old countries,"

and to many, signaled the launch of the millennial age. The autonomous congregations

of the Churches of Christ, with no fellowship-wide leadership, tend to be very democratic

and independent, and seek to "place religious power in the hands of the people"

(Bost 7).

The Church of Christ movement began around 1790 as religious fervor swept

through the southem frontier, and church leaders straggled with older, established

churches for power and freedom. The most significant of these leaders were Barton

Stone and Thomas and Alexander Campbell. Barton W. Stone and four other

Presbyterian mhiisters denounced the Presbytery and formed their own in 1803 in order

to support thefr right to interpret the scriptures as they saw fit. The group resolved to

have the Bible as thefr only guide and "Christian" as their only name. Like Stone,

Thomas Campbell left the Presbytery and in 1807 formed the Christian Association of

Washington. In his Declaration and Address. Campbell articulated the main concern of

the group, that of Christian unity.

Drawing on the Puritan fradition to which he was heir, Campbell proposed what to him was the obvious solution: recover the common denominator of all Christians - the primitive Christianity reflected in Scripture - and forsake the creed and fraditions of Christian history which had been responsible for maintaining division. (Allen and Hughes 106)

21

The motto of tiie group became, and still is, "Where the Scripttires speak, we speak;

where die Scripttires are silent, we are silent." Alexander Campbell, Thomas' oldest son

and a student of tiie philosophies of John Locke and Common Sense Realism in

Glascow, determined that the path to unity lay in the reasoning out of the essentials

of Biblical texts. Campbell's teaching offered stracttire, order, and certainty that

appealed to the followers of Stone, who were committed to primitive Christianity in

principle, but found the freedom and lack of dogma difficult to assimilate m everyday

life. "The comerstone of Campbell's rational and systematic portrait of primitive

Christianity was his insistence that baptism was immersion and that immersion was for

the forgiveness of sins. To Kentucky Calvinists and Stoneites, many uncertain of their

election, this notion offered compelling assurance and certainty" (Allen and Hughes

108). Campbell and Scottish immigrant Walter Scott focused on restoring the "ancient

gospel." Over time the "legalistic tendencies inherent in the primitivism and rationalism

of both Scott and Campbell came . . . to dominate Churches of Christ" (Hughes 52). In

the 1820s, the Stone and Campbell movements began to merge and were formally united

in 1832, in Lexington, Kentucky. As the years passed, Campbell and his followers in the

upper Midwest began to accept unity in pluralistic diversity, but many of the soutiiem

Christians held stiictly to the restoration ideal and resisted pluralism. By theJL86Qs, there

were twelve hundred congregatioflS-in theNorth and ei^^hundred in thejouth, witii

many of these in the border states of Missouri and Kentucky, hi 1906, the reUgious

census of the United States Government listed two separate churches, the more

22

ecumenical Disciples of Christ, and the more conservative Churches of Christ. By this

time, the Church of Christ had taken firm root in Texas.

The Church of Christ in Texas

The ideas of personal freedom, congregational autonomy, and being a "people of

tiie Book," were especially appealing to those settling the Texas frontier. According to

Texas church historian Stephen Eckstein, Mansil W. Matthews began the first

congregation in 1836 (9). The unstable political scene, tension between Texas and

Mexico, uncertain mail service, and a non-permanent population, made developing

churches in Texas difficult, but by 1845, there were twenty-five Church of Christ

congregations in sixteen counties and probably close to one thousand members. The

outbreak of the Civil War isolated tiie Texas churches from the northern churches and

caused a decline, but after the war, churches began to rebuild, especially in the Dallas,

Ft. Worth, and Austhi areas.

Early in the twentieth century, Texas became a battleground for divisions among

the church, often separathig the groups into Christian Churches (Disciples of Christ) and

Churches of Christ. The uncommon emphasis placed on Scripture combined with the

churches' unreserved confidence in human reason led to sfrong disagreements on the

interpretation of certain Biblical passages, and the democratic nature of the congregations

allowed divisions and separations to proliferate. In addition, the absence of any cenfral

agency to coordinate discussion and debate allowed dissenters to leave established

congregations and begin new groups.

23

The use of Sunday schools and women teachers divided many congregations.

fristiMmental music in worship services became another divisive issue; to many this

practice signaled the change from a church for the poor and straggling, to a middle-class

institution. Those with the more conservative views often allied under the name Church

of Christ, while the "organ churches" became Christian Churches (Disciples of Christ).

Many disagreements erapted over one-cup communion services and missionary

societies, along with other concerns.

The Church of Christ in Lubbock

The conservative fraditions of the Churches of Christ soon took root in West

Texas. On the fourth Sunday m May of 1890 at 11:00 a.m., H.M. Bandy, an itinerant

preacher, gave the first sermon by a Church of Christ minister to a crowd of twenty-six,

in what was soon to become Lubbock. Bandy returned to his home in Thorp Springs and

convhiced forty-one others to travel with him to the area to settle. Bandy's group arrived

at "North Lubbock" on November 12, 1890, and made their home on the grounds of the

Nicolette Hotel six miles northeast of Lubbock. In Febraary of 1891, the ovmer of the

Nicolette, later known as the Broadway Hotel, invhed the Bandy group for dinner on the

first Sunday in the new town, and S.W. Smith preached to the group before the meal,

"the first sermon to be preached and the first religious body to meet in the present town

of Lubbock" (Hufstedler 15). Eventually, this group developed into the Broadway

Church of Christ.

24

hi October of 1898, Liff Sanders, a "cowboy preacher" from Lockney, visited

Lubbock and agreed to become the first permanent minister for the church in 1899.

During this period, yeariy gospel meetings were held and large groups from the

community would come to hear visiting speakers preach from the Bible. The tiny

congregation of sixteen members would often host one hundred visitors from the

surrounding area when a well-known restorationist came to Lubbock to hold a meeting

(Hufstedler 24-33).

hi 1919, John T. Smith, known as a "real orator," and one who was "especially

sfrong in building up churches," became the new preacher for the congregation and began

to organize it further by adding a secretary and a system for keeping records (Hufstedler

54). Smith was one example of the visionary, trend-setting leaders to serve at the

Broadway congregation over the years. Attendance at the services doubled and soon

reached over three hundred and fifty, and a new, larger building was needed. By 1925,

the membership of the Church of Christ in Lubbock was close to four hundred and fifty,

and Broadway became a significant influence in the Lubbock community and the

brotherhood. With no cenfral Church of Christ organization, smaller congregations

looked to the larger groups for guidance and example, especially the congregations that

maintained highly educated, full-time ministers (Hufstedler 50-68).

Dr. M. Norvel Young, another widely recognized orator, was hired as the minister

in 1944, and through his leadership, Broadway began many innovative programs, such as

a cooperative missionary work in post-war Germany, a local radio program, a weekly

newspaper column, a television quiz show hosted by Young, and a Bible Chair program

25

on tiie campus of Texas Tech University. Young became one of the most influential

Church of Christ ministers in tiie fellowship. He encouraged all Church of Christ

congregations to build modem, atfractive buildings, and in 1950, Broadway opened the

current building at Broadway and Avenue T, the largest building for any Church of Christ

congregation at that time. Broadway was also instramental in opening the Children's

Home of Lubbock in 1954 and Lubbock Christian University in 1957 (Hughes 247-50).

The next ti-uly irmovative minister for the Broadway congregation was Dr.

Rodney Plunket, hired in 1994; he currently serves in that position and is recognized for

his prowess in the pulpit and his emphasis on the church's responsibility to the

community. Under Plunket's leadership, Broadway began Carpenter's Kitchen, a

program to provide free meals to the residents of the nearby, lower-mcome Overton

neighborhood on Sundays, and Carpenter's Church, a place for the residents to worship.

On Easter Sunday, 2001, the congregation added a second worship service to the Sunday

schedule in an effort to reach out to the unchurched of the community. This service

includes those not behig served by Carpenter's Church or the regular Broadway service.

Drama Ministries in Churches of Christ

In the 1990s, drama ministries were developed in a few large Church of Christ

congregations in response to contemporary challenges facing the church. The 1960s and

1970s saw a declme in membership for most Churches of Christ. The restorationist ideals

often appeared to the young as legalistic and cultiirally irrelevant, and the church began

to search for ways to respond. Hughes writes, "Caught up in these general frends, many

26

Churches of Christ began to define themselves less in terms of legalistic codes and more

in terms of relationships, both with God and with other human beings" (365). Hawkins

describes the challenge this presents in regard to worship style: "Today's culture is

primarily non-literate, in the sense that present day culture is dominated by visual images

which come primarily in short segments. Long, expository sermons presented in a formal

style may not be as effective today . . . " (83).

Stan Denman relates that the fraditionalist approaches to Church of Christ

worship are, in some ways, breaking down. An issue for some small congregations is

clapping hands in worship, either in singing or to show appreciation. Denman writes,

"Traditionalists within the Churches of Christ see the activity as irreverent, emotional,

unraly, and out of place in a house of worship" (32-33). Younger members tend to

disagree.

Interestingly, one of the primary objections by fraditional worshipers in the Church of Christ is that the applause gives the congregational gathering an air of entertainment or recreation rather than reverential worship. This fear of "irrational" entertainment and emotionalism gives most Church of Christ assemblies a marked stoicism in comparison to Pentecostal and Holhiess groups. (Denman 33)

The search for relationship has allowed a few innovative congregations to add

new elements to the worship experience. One of these new elements is the use of

dramatic scenes performed by aduh members of the congregation. While other rehgious

groups have used dramatic material for years, the Churches of Christ in Texas did not

begin to add this element until the 1990s. The aduh drama groups formed in Churches of

Christ have often begun as groups to perform outside of worship services for special

27

events and congregational entertainment; only a few congregations have successftilly

incorporated drama into the worship setting. The infroduction of drama into the worship

setting occurred only after the groups were able to demonsfrate the power of drama as a

teaching tool, rather than as mere entertainment.

One of the first and most successful adult drama ministries in a Texas Church of

Christ started at the Preston Road Church of Christ in Dallas, Texas. Preston Road

began in 1940 in a home on the comer of Preston Road and McFariand near Southem

Methodist University. The Preston Road congregation grew to a membership of between

five and six hundred in the 1960s under the leadership of Eldred Stevens, hi the early

1980s, Randy Mayeux became the pulpit minister and began to instigate changes. At

first successful, he began to increase women's roles and add more contemporary worship

elements, innovations which eventually "pushed the envelope" too far for this

conservative congregation. Lynn Anderson, formerly of the Highland Church of Christ

m Abilene, became the pulpit minister for Preston Road in 1991 and continued in that

position until 1998. Under his forward-thinking leadership, subtle and gradual changes

took place in the congregation, such as the addition of the adult drama ministry (Bent 6-

17-02).

The adult drama ministry for the Preston Road Church, called the Good Muse

Troupe!, began in 1992 with a small group of actors who participated in an Easter event.

Elaine Bent, a veteran teacher of high school drama, envisioned the froupe and dfrected it

using five male actors. Bent discussed the possibility of the acting troupe with Lynn

Anderson, the preacher at the time, the actors, and finally one of the elders of the

28

congregation, Jim Samuel. Bent states that, "At first the elders were hesitant, but as we

did things, tiiey got good feedback, could see what we were doing was quality, and got

better acquainted with me" (Bent 6-24-02). Samuel provided guidelines for gaining

approval for tiie ministiy from the elders, such as having scripts, time, and place of

performances approved at least two weeks in advance. The troupe soon added women.

hi six to nine montiis the froupe was firmly established. Bent then added a three-member

board to help support the group as it grew.

The Mission Statement of the Good Muse Troupe! states. The Good Muse Troupe! desires to spread the ministry of Jesus Christ through the use of drama. We believe that this use of our talents will inspire growth, teaming, and healing by presenting contemporary real hfe issues in a way that touches the heart and challenges the listener in an unthreatening way. This ministry exists with a commitment to thetrathof scripture and the love of Jesus Christ." (Bent 6-24-02)

By 1995, the group had grown to thirty members and that year performed in

Dallas, Albuquerque, New Mexico, and Malibu, California. The group had a budget of

six thousand dollars per year, and performance venues included conferences,

lectureships, retreats, and youth rallies. One such conference was The Church That

Connects, a Dallas-based conference led by Lynn Anderson, which infroduced new

methods of oufreach and worship models to interested Church of Christ congregations.

Bent and the Good Muse Troupe! believe sfrongly in the power of drama as a teachmg

tool, and fraditionally have avoided any performances which could be viewed as

entertainment. The Good Muse Troupe! and Elaine Bent were instrumental in helping to

establish drama ministries in other Texas congregations, such as the South MacArthur

Ghurch of Christ m Irving and the Southem Hills Church of Christ in Abilene.

29

The Richland Hills congregation, located near Ft. Worth, was begun in

January of 1956, and today it is one of the largest, most active Churches of Christ in the

fellowship. Richland Hills began witii one hundred and eighty-seven members,

children, and visitors meeting in the Glenview Elementary School building. Walter

Burch served as the congregation's first minister, hi Febraary of 1975, while Darrell

Richard was minister, a ministry system was inaugurated which allowed deacons to make

decisions regarding tiie ministiies they supervised. During this period, rapid growth took

place; by 1997, one hundred and eighty-two deacons and twelve ministers served under

the oversight of eighteen elders. In late 1986, under Jon Jones' leadership, a new one

hundred seventy-eight thousand square foot building was finished. In 2002, with

nineteen ministers, the average combhied attendance at the three Sunday moming

services is between thirty-five and thirty-six hundred, and the weekly budget is

nearly one hundred, fifty-four thousand dollars. Rick Atchley has been the preaching

minister since 1989, and the large congregation has been extremely involved in

community service, includmg Bible translation, disaster relief, and feeding the hungry in

Northeast Tarrant County.

The Richland Hills aduh drama ministry was begun in 1996. Later to become

known as the ACTS Company, the group began performing short sketches in worship

services. As the leadership changed, the ministry was viewed to be more useful outside

the worship setting. In 1999, the Drama Ministiy Committee was organized to oversee

the Adult Drama and Children's Drama Groups. The Aduh Group was organized into

two groups: the closed group, which was formed to meet regularly and perform sketches.

30

while the open group were to produce major events three times per year. At first, major

productions centered around holiday periods, but after a few years, audience analysis

determined that the Christmas production was not bringing in many visitors for the

amount of time spent in staging it. The ministry now focuses on three major productions

per year, under the direction of Terrie Power and Shelley Park, with a budget often to

twelve thousand dollars per year. The Mission Statement of the drama ministry reads,

"The Drama Ministry strives to use and cultivate God-given talents, to expose the church

and community to quality Christian art forms and to share God's love and salvation

through Christ, m order to give glory to God through the dramatic arts" (Power 4-10-02).

The three major productions each year include the Dinner Theatre, staged in the

late spring, and two dessert theafres. The Dinner Theatre event includes a gourmet meal

and a full-length play, both held in the atrium of the large Richland Hills buildmg. The

dessert theafres feature a dessert buffet, live music, and short scenes also performed in the

atrium area. The Dinner Theafre usually boasts a cast of sixteen to twenty, and with the

production staff and wait staff, utilizes over one hundred church members. Dessert

theafres typically involve around thirty people. The goal of these productions is to

"provide a unique opportunity to invite non-Christians to a relaxing, non-threatening

evening of entertainment" (Power 4-10-02). Tickets to the events are sold by half-table

or whole table; individual seats are not sold m an effort to encourage church members to

commit to bringing family and guests to the events. Sfrong emphasis is placed on using

the performances for community outreach and introducing new people to the

congregation.

31

Community oufreach is also a goal of the South MacArthur congregation. The

Soutii MacArthur Church of Christ in frving, Texas, began in 1972 with the merging of

two existing Irving congregations. Under the leadership of Johrmy Jackson, the two

congregations joined efforts and built an auditorium to seat nearly three thousand.

The adult drama ministry, led by Beth Binkley, began in 1994 while Kregg Hood was the

minister. The South MacArthur elders had a vision for community outreach and decided

to begin a Community Bible Class and include drama as part of the class format.

In the fall of 1994, Binkley began to form the adult drama group for the purpose

of performing in the Community Bible Class. Binkley holds a college degree in Speech

Communications and Drama and taught high school and junior high school drama

courses for eight years. Elaine Bent, from Preston Road Church of Christ in Dallas,

brought tiie Good Muse Troupe! to frving to help begin the group at South MacArthur.

In October, the MacArthur group gave their first performance, and by 1995 they were

presenting every other week in the Community Bible Class. After the Community Bible

Class ceased to meet, the drama group presented for other congregational Bible classes.

Vacation Bible Schools, and finally at the Sunday moming services. At first, only men

were used as actors for the Sunday service, but eventtially women were added to the

presentations (Binkley 7-14-02).

South MacArthur's drama ministry receives a budget of two thousand to twenty-

four hundred dollars per year. Two of the congregation's elders and the worship minister

oversee the ministry, while Beth Binkley directs the acting group, most of whom have a

theatiical background. Binkley states that the focus of the drama ministiy is teachmg: "to

32

show people, in a non-threatening way, what drama can do that preaching cannot; it can

cut to the heart of the matter" (Binkley 2).

One of the newest drama ministries in a Church of Christ is found at the Southem

Hills Church of Christ in Abilene, Texas. Rob Marcelain acts as director for the ministry

that began in 2001. In June of 1933, a new congregation was begun on the south side of

Abilene, and in 1964 it was decided to relocate the congregation to the southwest edge of

town. The Southem Hills Church of Christ conducted its first worship assembly there on

June 27, 1965, and today meets in the fifteen hundred-seat auditorium buih in 1984.

Soutiiem Hills holds two Sunday moming services during the school year, and in the

second, more "modem" service, dramatic scenes are used. When Marcelain approached

the preacher, John Risse, about beginning the ministiy, he found that Risse had afready

begun "laying the ground work with the elders" for beginning the drama mmistiy

(Marcelain 1). In the beginning, the elders were cautious; scenes were only used in

Wednesday night services, and women were not allowed to perform monologues,

but now there are fewer restrictions. Marcelain chooses scripts, casts, and directs. He

holds a B.A. m Theafre from Abilene Christian University and works as Technical

Director for the Paramount Theafre in Abilene (Marcelain 7-22-02).

The Southem Hills drama ministry has no written mission statement, but

Marcelain relates.

There can be no denying that we live in a visual society. We can continue to sit back and complain that nothmg good comes out of Hollywood, or we can admit that drama and actmg is nothing more than a tool, a tool we have allowed Satan to use for too long. We, at Southem Hills, acknowledge that God has blessed us with these gifts, and we are going to use these gifts

33

and take back the tool of the visual medium for His glory and honor. (2)

Other large Texas Church of Christ congregations have established adult drama

ministries at various points in the 1990s, but many of these have been unable to continue.

For example, the Oak Hills Church of Christ in San Antonio, Texas, began a drama

ministry several years ago, but have had to discontinue performances because of the lack

of time allowed in worship services. The congregation has three consecutive worship

services on Sunday mornings, and the leadership feels each service carmot exceed one

hour in length. The worship ministry beheves they cannot hiclude dramatic presentations

and stay within the prescribed time limit.

The sfrong influences of the past have led the Churches of Christ to their rational,

sectarian, and often puritanical practices. The need to move to a relationship-based

practice, rather than a rale-based practice, has led some Churches of Christ to add new

elements to their simple, fraditional worship services. Within this conservative tradition

and hs continuing search for new mhiistries, Lubbock's Broadway Church of Christ

developed the Aduh Drama Mhiistiy that is the focus of this study.

34

CHAPTER III

THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE ADULT DRAMA MINISTRY

AT BROADWAY CHURCH OF CHRIST

While Churches of Christ have often been reluctant to adopt adult drama as a

teaching tool, the Broadway Church of Christ has sustained a drama ministry for over

five years and has allowed it to grow and develop with the goals and needs of the

congregation and its leaders. This chapter will discuss the beginning of the Adult Drama

Ministry, from its conception through the approval process and hs early productions.

Finally, tiie changes that have occurred in its cultivation and how the fiiU-grown ministry

is meeting its stated goals will be addressed.

In the spring of 1997, the soil was prepared for the new ministry as Broadway

Church of Christ worship minister Adam Looney presented the idea of begirmmg an adult

drama ministry at the Lubbock congregation. In meetings with the pulpit minister,

Rodney Plunket, Looney explained that he had seen models of dramatic scenes presented

at workshops, retreats, and conferences, such as The Church That Connects in Dallas, and

felt there might be enough interest and talent to support such a ministry. Plunket took the

idea to the elders of the congregation and gained their approval to present performances

outside the worship time. Plunket then approached George W. Sorensen, Professor

Emeritus from the Department of Theafre and Dance at Texas Tech University and

longtime member of the Broadway congregation, to ask if he would be interested m

facilitating the beginning of an adult drama ministiy. Sorensen agreed to help begin the

35

ministiy by directing one performance, thereby planting the first seeds for growth in the

prepared soil.

Planting the Seeds

Sorensen directed Celebrating the Psalms, which was presented on August 9,

1997, a Sattirday evening, at 7:00 p.m. in the lower level of the Broadway church's

education building. Sorensen adapted the script himself, selecting psalms taken directly

from the King James version of the Bible and familiar hymns from the church's

songbooks that used psalms for their texts. The adaptation called for two male and two

female actors to speak and/or sing the selected psalms.

The cast, chosen by Sorensen, included three church members, Adam Looney,

Laurie Doyle, and Samuel Hyland, and Texas Tech graduate student Kerry Graves.

Doyle and Hyland were also Tech students at the time. Adam and Benjamin Doyle had

mmor roles hi the presentation that also included audience participation. Rehearsals

began in early June, and the group met at Sorensen's home and at the church building.

Sorensen used simple staging for the performance. The large open area of the

lower level was designed for classroom and fellowship use with moveable walls and low

ceilings and would easily seat three to four hundred people. Plastic stackable chairs

allowed for flexible seating configurations. Although a small stage is buih into the north

wall of the long room, it was not utilized for this production. Only the existing lighting

illuminated the area, and no set or props were used. Sorensen asked for the chairs to be

arranged in four sections, one on each side facing the playing area. Simple printed

36

programs were given to audience members. Advertising was done by way of oral

atmouncements in worship services in the weeks before the performance and in printed

bulletins sent to the homes of church members.

After the Broadway performance, the group accepted an invitation to perform at

Carillon Retirement Village in the Neil Chapel on Saturday, September 20 at 2:30 p.m.

Graves and Hyland were unable to attend the performance, so Sorensen stepped in to

perform some of the selected psalms. The positive audience reaction at both

performances indicated that the seeds of the new ministry had been planted in well-

prepared soil. The leadership recognized the medium's potential for teaching and

promoting the oral ti-adition of Scripture. The elders gave permission to continue the

ministry.

Watering the Seeds

Now that the seeds of the ministry had been sown, the first need was a more

permanent leader. La the fall of 1997, Laurie Doyle, an Assistant Professor of Fine Arts

at Lubbock Christian University and a member at Broadway since 1982, accepted the

position of mhiistiy leader for Broadway's Aduh Drama Ministiy. On September 16,

pulpit minister Rodney Plunket met with Doyle to discuss her plans for the proposed

mmistry and advised her to submit a written proposal to the Elders' Adminisfrative Team

and a budget to the Budget Committee. Plunket expressed that the elders were mterested

in a mhiistry that would continue for many years and one that would involve members of

the congregation in a worthwhile effort.

37

On October 5, a small group of interested members met to discuss the proposal

and budget. By October 8, Doyle submitted a letter with the proposal to the elders, and

on October 15, Seymour Evans, chairman of the elders, received a copy of the proposal.

The Mission Statement states, "The Broadway Adult Drama Ministry seeks to minister to

the Broadway congregation through communication, education, encouragement, and to

serve as a method of out-reach to the unchurched in our community." Goals included in

the proposal were: (1) to allow members to use God-given talents to serve the

congregation; (2) to promote the oral fradition of Scripture; (3) to teach lessons through

dramatic literature; (4) to provide opportunities, other than worship services, for

members to invite friends to attend; (5) to mvolve members of all ages in a unified

activity for the benefit of the entfre congregation; (6) to provide a continuing mhiistry

that would involve groups of members for years to come. The proposed budget requested

two thousand dollars per year and included funds for scripts, rentals, and additional

lighting equipment (see Appendix D).

On October 29, a group includmg Doyle, Sorensen, and five other church

members, met with the Adminisfrative Team after Wednesday evening Bible class to

support the proposal and answer any questions about the mhiistry or its future. On

November 9, elder Rob Core told Doyle that he would present the proposal to the full

eldership that aftemoon in their scheduled meeting. On November 10, Core reported to

Doyle that the elders approved the ministiy (Core 1) and that he had volunteered to

serve as the sponsoring elder for the new ministry. Evans also called Doyle to report on

the approval (Evans 1). The budget for the ministry was set at one thousand dollars per

38

year. Two years later, in 1999, all die Broadway ministry budgets were reduced due to

lack of fluids, and tiie budget was reset at five hundred dollars per year.

Germination

With approval of the ministiy complete, Doyle made plans to direct a holiday

production and, after reading several scripts, selected The Gift of the Magi, a one-act play

adapted by Mindy Stames Clark from the short story by O. Henry and published by

Eldridge Publishing. This script was selected because it presents the biblical virtiies of

love and selflessness in a beautiful, often humorous story that all age groups can

appreciate. The language and characters were appropriate for a church audience, and the

physical requirements were not too demanding for the new group. The play required four

actors, two male and two female; Doyle cast a young married couple as the newlyweds,

and another man and woman from the congregation as the angels/friends. Rehearsals

were held in the evenings and on Saturdays in November and December. The director

added familiar Christmas songs to the script to help transition between scenes, and a

small group of singers from the congregation was formed to employ more participants m

the production. Adam Looney directed the singers, who were costumed as Christmas

carolers.

The play, staged in the lower level of the church's education building, used

the small existing stage at one end of the large room to represent the tiny newlywed

apartment. Doyle recraited a small crew of four church members to help design and

build the set and locate props. Mitch Morgan, the set designer, added an extension to the

39

stage to give more playing room, and two playing areas on the floor level were used for

scenes set outside the apartment. He also created brick waUs from sheets of Styrofoam

and painted tiiem to resemble an old building.

The director borrowed theatiical lighting instraments and light trees from

Lubbock Christian University's Theatre Division and added them to the existing frack

lights to illuminate the stage and other playing areas. She also borrowed costiimes from

LCU, while furniture and props were borrowed from church members and other contacts.

The characterizations were enhanced by using wigs and theatrical makeup. A church

member created a simple printed program (see Appendix A). Tickets for the two

performances were sold through the adult Bible classes on the Sunday mornings in

December before the performance dates. Tickets were ten dollars each.

The play opened on Saturday, December 20, 1997, at 7:00 p.m. in a dinner

theafre format. Caterers set up a buffet line in the atrium portion of the lower level, and,

after selecting from the buffet, audience members sat at round tables to dine and

watch the performance. A snow and ice storm late in the day affected attendance for the

evening performance, but eighty-four people attended the dinner and play. A second

performance was held on Sunday aftemoon, December 21, at 3:00 p.m. Christmas

cookies and punch were served instead ofa meal, and tickets for this performance were

sold for five dollars each. Eighty-seven people attended the matinee performance. After

the performance of The Gift of the Magi. Seymour Evans, chairman of the Broadway

elders, sent a letter to Doyle thanking her for the performance and her willingness to

chair and direct the new mmistry (Evans 1).

40

The quality of the Christmas production heightened interest in the ministry and

sfrengtiiened the Broadway staffs support, hi March of 1998, Broadway's Children's

Minister asked Doyle to provide a program for the Children's Ministry Teachers'

Banquet to be held on March 29, again in the lower level of the education building. With

very little casting and rehearsal time, Doyle decided to stage a choral reading from

Angels in Pinafores, a book about a teacher's experiences by Alice Lee Humphreys.

Doyle asked three men and three women to participate in the reading, and adapted

the script to the readers. By involving church members who had not participated in the

Christmas production, Doyle created more interest in the drama ministry, and the use of

the reading technique encouraged those who were unsure of their acting ability to explore

their talents in a safer setting. Doyle began to note the abilities of the actors and readers

in anticipation of developing a drama group with permanent members. She set the stage

with speakers' stands, tall stools, and microphones. The readings were interspersed with

other elements of the program, such as awards and speakers.

Taking Root

The next challenge involving the Adult Drama Ministry was an evening entitied

"Celebrating Mothers & Daughters," which took place on Thursday, August 6,1998, at

7:30 p.m. in the lower level of the education building. Doyle organized the event that

was to provide a time of entertamment and bonding for mothers and daughters of various

age groups. Again, Doyle used the event to promote the drama ministiy, involve new

actors in the production, and work with actors of various ages, so that the mhiistiy would

41

appeal to a wide range of church members. The evening featured a one-act play titled

Mother-Daughter Talk by Janet Guise and Jacqueline Moody. The script called for three

motiiers and their daughters, and Doyle asked three Broadway members and their high

school-aged daughters to participate. The cast rehearsed during the evenings in late June

and July.

A small stage made up of platforms and ramps was set up in the center of the

room with round tables and chairs for the audience on each side of it. The stage area,

surrounded by potted flowers, was used for other activities during the evening. The set

for the play consisted of black boxes on or beside the platforms. Doyle again borrowed

stage lights from LCU to illuminate the acting area. Simple costuming and hand props

were used by the acfresses to help establish age and character.

The evening also included other activities, such as fashion modeling by

mothers and their daughters, a mother/daughter game, similar to a television game show,

and sets of grandmothers, mothers, and daughters sharing their memories of special

moments. Soft drinks and snacks were served at the decorated tables where the audience

was seated. An audience of around two hundred women and girls attended the event, and

response to the evening's program was very positive with high interest for future events.

Steady Growth

As the Adult Drama Ministry gained acceptance witiiin the congregation, some of

the staff members and a few of the actors suggested that a holiday production be staged.

The Broadway congregation, as was trae of most Churches of Christ, had no Christmas

42

service or special event connected to the holidays. Doyle knew that her teaching and

directing responsibilities at LCU would limit her rehearsal time, so she searched for a

simple production that required short rehearsal time but would still be impressive and

meaningfiil. hi November of 1998, Doyle approached the elders with the idea ofa

special Wednesday evening service on December 23. Since the congregation would be

meeting that evening for the regular mid-week service, Doyle asked if the Adult Drama

Ministry could present a dramatic, sermon-length reading titled Christmas Cradle.

Christmas Gross by Lee Magness. The elders read the script and approved the idea for

the service tiiat was to be held hi the chapel of the Broadway building at 7:00 p.m. on

December 23. The invitation to perform at a regularly scheduled church service indicated

the leadership's acceptance of and confidence in the Adult Drama Ministry.

The script called for four readers, but Doyle adapted it for five readers to make

the reading more interesting and less predictable. She then asked five church members,

three men and two women, to read. The group rehearsed on Wednesday evenings and

other evenings during December. Doyle added songs about the cross, as well as

Christmas songs to the reading. A group often singers sang from the back of the chapel

on certain songs, and Philip Jones led the congregation in other songs between verses of

the readmg. During one of the last songs, "Away in a Manger," children from the

congregation filed up the center aisle carrying lit candles. Green frees and live poinsettia

plants decorated the small stage area in the chapel. Dim lighting was used and the

readers wore lapel microphones to enhance the sound.

43

Prayers and announcements were given, just as in a usual Wednesday evening

Bible class. Printed programs aimounced the order of events in the service. The

audience for the Christinas service was large, with several audience members having to

stand in tiie doorway because all the seats were taken. After the service, punch and

cookies were served in the Garden Room next to the chapel. As a result of this

experience, every year since 1998 some type of special Christmas service has been held

at Broadway.

After several months dedicated to graduate school and work, Doyle again

approached the elders with plans for a production in the fall of 1999. This time she chose

a biographical drama about the blind poet, Fanny J. Crosby, whose poems served as the

lyrics for many of the hymns most beloved by the Broadway congregation and many

other Church of Christ congregations. Approval was given, and plans were made to

produce the play. Words by Faimy J. Crosby by Dan Neidermyer, hi October.

The script called for a larger cast than had been used in the past, and Doyle was

able to involve a number of church members of various ages who had not previously

acted for the ministry. She recraited two of the more experienced actors to play Fanny

and the reporter who hiterviews her, and convinced several others, such as an elder's wife

and her granddaughter, to take small roles in the cast.

The play was staged on the buih-in stage of the lower level of the education

building. Platforms in front of the shallow stage added playing areas, especially for

flash-back or memory scenes. Theatrical lighting was again borrowed, costiimes were

made, rented, and borrowed, and the set and props were buih or found by a small crew

44

and the cast. A simple printed program was distributed, as well as song sheets for the

music used in the play (see Appendix A).

Instead of the choir called for in the script, Doyle encouraged the audience to

participate by singing the various songs described in the play. The familiar hymns gained

new meaning as the audience became aware of the history behind the words of the songs

and came to know more about the woman who wrote them.

The play was presented on Saturday, October 16, at 8:00 p.m., and on Sunday,

October 17, immediately after the evening worship service. The evening service was

reduced to a short devotional time, and those attending were encouraged to stay and

attend the play. Being allowed to perform on a Sunday evening in conjunction with the

evening worship service again proved the church leaders' confidence in the ministry and

interest in its development. Response to the performance was positive, both from the

audience and the leadership. The Adult Drama Ministry had taken firm root in the

church's mhiistry system.

A New Sprout: A New Direction

The spring of 2001 brought a change to the Broadway congregation, which, in

tum, had a profound effect on the Adult Drama Ministry. The elders and ministers

decided that a second Sunday moming worship service was needed to reach a wider

audience and to fiilfill the congregation's goal of meeting the needs of the local

community. The elders authorized a new service to be added to tiie Sunday schedule

beginning on Easter Sunday, April 4, 2001.

45

The new service would meet in tiie lower level of the education building, not in

tiie fraditional auditorium, so that media such as Power Point presentations, slides, and

video could be used to enhance the service. The large high windows in the Broadway

auditorium make projection of any type nearly impossible without the expense ofa very

high-lumen projector. The regular service, at tiie earlier time and in the fraditional

place, would continue to serve the majority of the congregation.

The church leadership placed a renewed emphasis on inviting friends and

neighbors to attend eitiier of the services, hoping that Broadway members would respond

by bringing guests to vish the congregation. A committee of ministers, elders,

and members was formed to plan the new "lower level" worship service, and by the end

of May 2001, Plunket had asked Doyle to become part of the weekly planning committee,

with the intent of using the Aduh Drama Mhiistry to perform during the service on a

regular basis. Based on the quality of the prior performances and the development of

individual skills, the elders and ministers were open to adding dramatic scenes to the new

service. This change signaled a major success for the Drama Ministry and indicated once

again that the leaders had confidence in the ministry.

The addition of dramatic scenes to some worship services moved the ministry into

a new mode of operation. The challenge would increase the number of people who were

aware of the mmistry and make it more vital to the life of the church, but it would also be

a very time-driven ministry. Doyle realized that she would no longer have months to

rehearse a production, but often only a week to three weeks to find a script to fit the

service, cast the script, stage and rehearse the script, and gather any set, props, hghts, or

46

costiimes necessary to produce the script. Doyle soon found that it would be almost

impossible to direct scenes for worship and direct plays or musicals outside of worship at

tiie same time. At tiiis point, no one else in the ministiy had experience or interest in

directing, so Doyle decided to concenfrate on the worship dramas and delay the

production of outside plays until tiie drama ministiy team was well estabhshed and her

graduate studies were completed.

Over the next eighteen months, short scenes and choral readings were used in

the new service at least once per month for illustrating the lesson, bringing Bible

characters to life, armouncing special church events, and adding emphasis to Scripture

reading. A few of the readings were performed in the early service, but only men were

allowed to speak, so most of the readings were only performed in the new service.

Women were allowed to play women's roles in the scenes for the new service, giving

new opportunities for a number of women to participate more openly than before.

In searching for scripts appropriate for the worship setting, Doyle knew she had to

work closely with the preacher to make sure the script complemented his text and the

lesson being drawn from it. She looked for short, three-to-five minute scenes with

reahstic characters. The scene might be touching or humorous, but it should not give

quick answers to serious questions. The scene needed to serve as a mirror in which the

audience members could catch a glimpse of themselves (see Appendix B).

On April 29, 2001, the first Aduh Drama Ministry presentation was given in tiie

new Sunday moming service. Broadway member Dan Underwood wrote the script, The

Gift. The scene called for two actors, and Doyle asked two of the more experienced

47

performers to act tiie roles in the three-minute scene. Moveable platforms were used to

allow better visibility of the scene, and track lighting helped illuminate the scene and

focus the audience's attention. The scene was an analogy or object lesson concerning

accepting the gifts of God and releasing all of life's heavy burdens. Performed right

before Plunket's sermon, the scene prepared the worshippers for the message.

Subsequent scenes that illusfrated lessons included two more scenes written by

Underwood, a published scene called Life Cycles, in which two women meet at a gym,

and a scene titled Where's tiie Change? in which two men discuss how bemg a Christian

should change all aspects of hfe.

A humorous scene concerning the offering was presented on August 12, 2001.

Instead of casting four actors do the scene, Doyle cast four actors to read offstage, while

four onstage mimed the scene as if the voices were in their own heads. This allowed the

onstage actors to focus more on physical elements which added more humor to the scene

than if they had had to worry about memorization and projection, and it insured that the

audience could hear all of the characters' lines. The audience readily accepted the use of

humor to convey the message about giving even though the scene dealt with a serious

element of worship.

One of the most challenging and effective scenes used was a dramatic scene for

two women titled Catch 22. Plunket announced at a plarming meeting in May of 2002

that he would be preaching on the topic of abortion on June 2 (see Appendix A). Doyle

read several scripts dealing with the topic before choosing an open-ended scene in which

one woman confesses to a friend that she is considering having an abortion, and the

48

friend tries to dissuade her by confessing that years earlier she herself had an abortion.

The serious nature of the topic and the intensity of the conversation made producing the

scene a challenge to Doyle and the acfresses she chose. Exfra rehearsal time was used,

and even though well prepared, the women were very nervous about the audience's

reaction to the scene and its topic. The scene proved to be one of the sfrongest and most

effective the Drama Ministry had performed. Plunket and others on the worship planning

committee commented on the sfrength of the scene and its impact on the audience.

Except for the scenes written by Underwood, Doyle chose published scenes

written for public worship services and in each case obtained permission from the author

and publishing company. After researching and getting advice from other drama group

directors, Doyle found the most suitable scripts to be available from Lillenas Publishing,

the Willow Creek Association, Eldridge Publishing, Curt Cloninger, and the DramaShare

web-site. A list of these resources is found at the end of Appendix A. In most cases, the

scenes were cast, staged, and rehearsed in two weeks or less. Several of the scenes had

humorous elements along with a more serious point involved. Examples of dramatic

material bringing Biblical characters to life included a monologue written on Mary

Magdalene and performed on October 14, 2001, and four monologues performed on

March 31, 2002. hi the early service, one male actor read all four voices, but in tiie

second service, the monologues were coshimed and acted by three men and one young

woman.

The Aduh Drama Ministiy also helped advertise church events, such as a special

contiibution taken once a year to fimd mission efforts m Lubbock and m countiies

49

outside tiie United States. In the weeks before the special contribution, Doyle worked

witii two sets of children who memorized poems concerning giving and sharing. One

group of five children recited tiiefr poems during the second service on April 21, 2002,

while tiie otiier group performed for the first service on April 28, 2002. Although Doyle

used children's poems performed by children, she was still in charge of selecting the

material and rehearsing tiie two groups. Also for the service on April 28, Doyle cast a

married couple to perform a comic scene in which the husband laments the selfishness of

their young son before ironically armouncing that he cannot spare any of his money for

the special church contribution. At other times, Doyle helped prepare Scripture readings

for the assembly. Examples of these readings include a fairly long choral reading from

selected Old Testament texts given by three men in both services. Another reading in the

second service involved the New Testament story of the woman caught in adultery, and

included four men and one woman as readers. On May 19, 2002, a male reader and the

audience participated in a choral reading using texts about the Day of Pentecost from the

New Testament. The reading was used in both services, with different leaders for each.

Improving the scripture readings and ushig choral readings infroduced or reinfroduced

the audience to the power of effective dramatic oral readings of the Word.

Tending the Plants

To encourage participation in the Aduh Drama Mhiistiy, and to help prepare the

actors for fiitiire roles, Doyle offered two special series of classes, hi the months of June

and July of 2001, Doyle facilitated a script-reading class on Wednesday evenmgs at the

50

church building during tiie regulariy scheduled class time. She mailed letters to all those

members who had participated in tiie Drama Ministiy in the past and invited them to

become part of the class. Activities for the class included viewing videotapes of

professionally prepared scenes and reading short scripts to acquaint the actors with

available scenes. Doyle also used the time to assess the interest of the participants and

tiieir reading abilities. Attendance in the class ranged from a high of twelve to a low of

two, depending on summer vacation schedules.

As the Adult Drama Mirustry became more and more involved in producing

scenes for worship assemblies, Doyle saw tiie need for more intensive actor trainmg and

scheduled a six-week class, again on Wednesday evenings, in the spring of 2002. She

selected four men and four women, each of whom had shown great interest and

significant talent in the ministry, and invited them and their spouses to attend a diimer in

her home where they discussed the current state of the ministry and plans for the acting

class. During the Wednesday class times, the actors worked on improvisation skills,

mime, physicalization, imagination, and characterization under Doyle's direction. She

used an acting reference book titled Acting Essentials by Alex Golson, as well as other

printed materials, props, and music for the class. Another goal of the class was the

formation or sfrengthening ofa sense of community within the Drama Ministry. Because

the actors come from different age groups and different segments of the large

congregation, the need to foster a group sense became apparent. The class allowed

individuals to sharpen their own skills, but also to admire and challenge the skills of other

members of the group. The Broadway leadership encourages small groups to foster a

51

sense of community and to combat the "lost in a large group" mentality that can sap

a large church of its sfrength (see Appendix A).

Reaching Maturity

At the time of tiiis writing, the Adult Drama Ministry continues to provide scenes

for the second worship service and readings where appropriate for the first service.

From tiie planting of the fnst seeds, the ministiy has seen continued growth through the

years and hicreased statiire within the congregation. The stated goals of the mmistry are

being met, in tiiat (1) around twenty members are using thefr talents m actmg, directing,

and in other areas to serve God on a regular basis; (2) the oral fradhion of Scripture has

been promoted by special readings and choral readings; (3) Biblical lessons have been

illusfrated and taught by short scenes and monologues; (4) events have been planned and

produced to encourage members to hivite guests, such as the Christmas productions and

the mother/daughter event; (5) there have been nearly seventy-five church members of

various age groups involved in the ministiy in some way since its inception; and (6) the

contmuation of the ministry for over five years speaks well of its popularity and future

usefulness. Plans for the future include more special event productions to be used for

community outreach and building up the church, more training for the actors, and the

continuation of using the ministry to teach and edify in the second Sunday moming

service.

52

CHAPTER IV

CONCLUSION

The Broadway Church of Christ Adult Drama Ministry is an example ofa

successful drama ministiy within the conservative fellowship of the Churches of Christ.

This chapter will first discuss the ways in which the project has met tiie criteria for being

successful as established in the project proposal and the first chapter. Second, it will

include congregational survey results indicating that the ministry is perceived as meeting

its goals. Third, it will present why the mmistiy succeeded and what effect the ministiy

has had on the congregation. Finally, a model for begirming a drama ministry m a

Church of Christ congregation will be presented in Appendix A. The terminology used

will be specific to Churches of Christ.

In Chapter I, five criteria were listed for considering the ministry established. The

ministry will be considered established when it has been (1) recognized by the church

eldership, (2) assigned an elder and staff member to oversee the ministry, (3) assigned a

ministry leader, (4) provided a budget from congregational funds, and (5) acknowledged

by the leadership to be an ongoing service ministry and a vital part of many worship

services.

On November 9, 1997, the Broadway elders read a proposal submitted by Laurie

Doyle and several other Broadway members outhning tiie mission, goals, and needs ofa

proposed Adult Drama Ministiy. At that meeting, the elders voted to establish the new

mmistry. Since that time, the ministiy has been an ongoing part of tiie congregation.

53

At tiie November 9 meeting, Broadway Elder Rob Core agreed to be the

sponsoring or nurtiiring elder for the ministry. Core still serves in that position and has

taken an active role in guiding and acting in the ministry. Robbi Crampler, Broadway

Children's Minister, agreed to serve as the staff liaison for the ministry. Crampler

continues in that position and also serves on the Worship Planning Committee along with

Doyle and several otiiers. Broadway member Laurie Doyle was named as ministry leader

for the Adult Drama Ministry. She serves in that capacity today and is responsible for

communication with the elders and staff and for directing the ministry.

On November 9, 1997, the newly established Adult Drama Ministry received a

yearly budget of one thousand dollars from the congregation. Two years later, the budget

was reduced to five hundred dollars per year and continues at that amount today. At that

time all ministry budgets were reduced due to lower confribution amounts from the

congregation. The ministry has been active since 1997, and since its addition to the

second worship service, the group performs at least once a month. In a letter for the

author (see Appendix E), Rob Core writes of the ongoing nature of the ministry:

I was pleased to be present at the November 1997 Elders' Meeting when we officially approved the Drama Mhiistry at Broadway Church of Christ. Since that time we have been so pleased with this mmistry for many reasons. It has involved many people who share a love for Drama. It has also proved to be an effective way to "support" the message that has been delivered from our pulph. It is our behef that this ministiy supports the concept that people will remember much more of what they see than what they hear. Remarkably tiiis mhiistry has also been able to be used on a regular and consistent basis without a major cost to the budget of our Church. For years, the children of our church have put on a musical/drama, and it was always well attended. We were hesitant to use Aduh Drama in our services because of our heritage in NOT using drama as a means of

54

communication to our congregation. It has been so well received and is now an integral part of our Worship Service. (I)

The congregation has also been supportive of the ministiy and views it as

successfiil. While some members who attend the eariy, more traditional service do not

feel comfortable with dramatic scenes during Sunday moming worship, most did enjoy

tiie productions performed outside of worship by the ministiy in its eariy days. The

members who attend tiie second Sunday service, representing twenty percent of the

average Sunday moming attendance at Broadway, have been very open to the dramatic

scenes presented over the last eighteen months.

A survey, administered during the second worship service on Sunday, September

8, 2002, hidicates tiiat the members who attend the second service approve of the Aduh

Drama Ministry and perceive that the ministry is meeting its stated goals. Doyle

constioicted the survey with the assistance of Beth Robinson, Chair of Lubbock Christian

University's Behavioral Sciences Department, and George Sorensen, advisor to the

drama ministry.

Approximately fifty percent, or about one hundred of the audience members at the

September 8' service, completed the survey. Doyle administered the survey during

September to insure that regular members, who usually attend the service and have seen

performances by the mhiistry, had returned from summer vacations. The survey hicluded

questions to distinguish audience members demographically as well as to elicit their

ophiion of the success of the ministry (see Appendix C).

Over one-third of the respondents were eighteen to twenty-five years of age. Of

that group, seventy percent were visitors to the church that day. Many of these are

55

college students who attend Texas Tech University and Lubbock Christian University.

Approximately one-fourth of the audience fell between the ages of twenty-five and forty,

and another fourth of those responding were between forty and fifty-five years of ages. A

little less than twenty percent were in the fifty-five and over age group.

Of those responding, over ninety percent indicated they are members of the

Church of Christ, and almost forty percent indicated that they have been members at

Broadway for at least six years. Twenty-five percent of the respondents have been

members ofa church with an active drama ministry. This figure appears high for a

Church of Christ audience, but the design of this service attracts an audience with less

conservative worship experiences. Almost fifty percent stated they attended the second

service on a regular basis. Another third indicated they usually attend the second service,

but occasionally attend the first.

Nearly fifty percent indicated that they had seen the Broadway Drama Ministry

perform at least five times, and of that number, ninety-eight percent rated the quality of

performances as excellent or good. Eighty percent of tiiose responding feel that dramatic

scenes contribute in a positive way to the worship service, and seventy percent agree or

sfrongly agree that the ministry is fiilfilling its Mission Statement. When the goals of the

mmistiy were listed, a high percentage of the respondents mdicated tiiat they think the

mmistry is meeting hs goals. The goal of "providing opportimities, other than worship

services, for members to invite fiiends to attend," received the lowest positive score of

the goals. These results mdicate the need for the ministiy to increase its productions

outside of worship. The ministiy leader's graduate work and her responsibilities in

56

tiieafre at LCU preclude her directing both types of productions at this time. As soon as

her graduate studies are completed, this issue will be addressed with the addition of

productions for the church outside of worship. Overall, the survey results were very

positive regarding the work of the Adult Drama Ministry in Broadway's second worship

service.

Much of the success of the Broadway Adult Drama Ministry is due to the backing

and encouragement of the church leadership. The pulpit minister, worship minister, and

many of the elders have openly supported the group with their approval, their time, their

allocation of fimds, their praise, and in some cases, their talents. Pulpit minister Rodney

Plunket continues to encourage the addition of dramatic scenes to the second worship

service and is very open to allowing drama to support the message he presents. He now

regularly plans sermon topics several weeks hi advance to allow the Adult Drama

Ministry time to secure scripts and rehearse them. Without Plunket's support, the

ministiy could not have continued. Many preachers view drama as infringing on the

sermon time or competing with thefr lessons. Plunket's work with the mhiistiy has

allowed it to become a useful tool for teachhig and communication in the second service.

Adam Looney, Broadway's worship minister, is also very supportive of the

ministiy hi allowing time in the service for dramatic presentations, hi accommodating

the new element, Looney often has to change the length or order of the second service,

making it different from the first service. He does this willingly and with very positive

support for what drama is adding to the services.

57

The Broadway elders continue to support the ministry by allocating funds from

the budget for it. They have also been very receptive to the productions proposed outside

of worship and granted tiieir approval for each. Broadway elders David Ratcliff and

David Ruebush serve on the Worship Planning Committee and readily support the

inclusion of drama in the second service in those meetings. Sponsoring elder Rob Core

has participated in several readings and scenes with the ministry and encourages Doyle

and other members of the ministry on a regular basis.

The success of the ministry is also due to the continuity of the leadership since its

inception. Plunket, Looney, Crampler, and Core have all been with Broadway and in

favor of the ministry smce it began hi 1997. Many congregations have staff changes

quite often, and had this occurred at Broadway, the Adult Drama Mhiistry might have

had a difficult time continuing its service. Also, the fact that Laurie Doyle has led the

ministry since its beginning has allowed a relationship of trast and loyalty to develop

between the elders, the congregation, and the ministry. If the ministry leadership had

changed often, the relationship might not have developed as well.

Another factor in the success of the ministry is the training of the ministry leader.

Doyle's educational background in acting, directing, technical theafre, and arts

administration has allowed her to lead the ministiy m a competent manner and gain the

approval of the eldership. Had she not been frained in these areas, the organization of the

mhiistry and the quality level of the work could not have been accomplished. She is also

very cognizant of choosing scripts that are well written and acceptable for a Church of

Christ audience. She works with the Worship Planning Committee to use drama to

58

support the lesson and tiieme of the planned service. Doyle has been very careful to

follow the approval process established by the congregational leadership when

developing the ministry and its projects.

The success of the ministiy would not be possible without the individual

Broadway members who volunteer their time and talents to act, locate costiimes, build

sets, and otiierwise support the ministiy. The ministry has gained greater acceptance as

Broadway members have discovered their talents and interest in drama. This excitement

is then passed on to their family members and friends.

In the beginning of any new venture, there may be problems that need to be

addressed. The Aduh Drama Ministry at Broadway has been fortunate to encounter few

problems in its formative years. While the survey results from the second service were

overwhehningly positive, there were three comments from members who still are not

comfortable with drama in the worship setting. The comments were not negative about

the quality of the ministry, just its inclusion in the service. The staff and elders, with

whom these comments were shared, do not feel the comments merit a reassessment of

the ministry. The comments are included with the survey results in Appendix C.

The ministry continues to battle the problem of time. While the staff has been

very helpful in trying to plan services in advance so that the Drama Ministry can prepare,

there are still often only two weeks or less for the ministry leader to locate an appropriate

script, cast it, rehearse it, and coordinate costumes, props, and set. This concem is being

addressed by implementmg a plan to select service themes three months in advance.

59

The second time problem encountered by the ministiy is the leader's lack of time

to direct scenes for the worship services and full-length productions outside of worship as

well. The productions outside of worship would involve more members onstage and in

technical support, and they would fulfill one of the goals of the ministry in providing

events to which Broadway members could invite guests. This need will be addressed as

soon as the ministry leader completes graduate school

The only other problem encountered by the ministry has been the lack of confrol

over script selection. When the ministry was first asked to perform for worship, the

Worship Plarming Committee several times selected a script to be performed without the

mhiistry leader being consulted or allowed to search for an appropriate script. A few of

the scripts chosen were not as well-written as other published scripts and had to be

adapted by the ministry leader, adding to the time problem addressed earlier. When the

mhiistry leader became a regular attendee at the Worship Plarming Committee meetings,

she offered to search for and select the materials to be performed. This has improved the

quality of the scenes being presented.

The poshive response of those attending Broadway's second service to the Adult

Drama Ministry's worship performances points to several very significant changes in the

congregation's way of thinking. The Broadway congregation is more open to new

avenues of worship than many mainlhie Churches of Christ who in practice "generally

regard worship as consistmg of formal religious exercises" (Hawkins 77). While other

congregations may still see the use of drama as "a pandering to society's craving for

entertainment" (Hawkms 78), Broadway has found drama to be a relevant teaching tool.

60

not unlike tiie stories and examples Jesus himself used during his ministry. Hawkins

goes on to write.

Long, expository sermons presented in a fonnal style may not be as effective today as the telling of interesting stories which people can relate to which, incidentally seems to have been Jesus' most common style of teaching. Other forms of teaching which may be more effective tiian a formal, lecttire style sermon might be a dramatic readmg, or even a dramatic monologue based on biblical passages. Five or ten minute dramatic segments may make a more lasting impression on a contemporary audience than a forty-five minute sermon. (83)

hi employing drama as a tool, the Adult Drama Ministiy has attempted to commit

to "being real." Steve Pederson writes, "Being real in drama simply means presenting

what is ti^e to life. In otiier words, a given situation is represented with honesty,

avoiding makmg it either less bleak or more bleak than the sitiiation merits" (27). hi the

drama concemmg abortion, the drama ministiy dealt with a life sitiiation m a realistic

manner without tiying to preach or supply answers. The sermon following the drama

presented a Biblical view of the issue. Broadway's audience allowed the ministry to

deal with tough life questions and was moved by the drama presented.

The use of drama at Broadway has also increased the number of members actively

participating in Sunday moming worship assemblies. On the Sundays when the Drama

Ministry performs, as many as eight people are more actively involved in leading the

worship service. In the past, only the song leader, preacher, and those men of the

congregation asked to lead prayers or give a communion meditation had active roles in

worship. The Drama Ministry is involving more members in a more real and concrete

way, and giving those members a new way to contribute to and participate in the worship.

61

Another small change has been the addition ofa Christinas Eve service. Church

of Christ congregations do not usually plan holiday services, but the drama ministry

productions in 1997 and 1998 increased interest in having a special service to celebrate

the holiday. The service is now becoming a tradition for the Broadway congregation.

Also especially noteworthy is the change seen in women's roles in the church.

The fact that women are allowed to act in the scenes used for worship constihites literally

the first time women have been allowed to take an individual participatory role in Sunday

moming worship assemblies. Although women have participated in congregational

surging, tiiey have not been allowed to have any speakmg part in the service. The Drama

Ministiy is giving women the opportimity to be involved in a very significant way in the

worship assembly.

In tiie past, women have been allowed to head ministries dealing with

benevolence, fellowship, or women. The women could teach or lead children or other

women, but typically could not lead in an area where men were involved. In his book,

A Heritage in Crisis. Ralph K. Hawkins quotes Robert Rowland as he describes the role

of women in fraditional Churches of Christ: "She cannot serve as a deacon or an elder, or

serve on most committees doing church work, let alone chair one" (87). At Broadway,

Laurie Doyle has been allowed to serve as ministry leader for the Drama Ministry since

its inception. Although men act and participate in the ministry, Doyle has been allowed

to teach and direct the group.

These changes illusfrate that the Broadway congregation is open to the

reevaluation of tradition and finding its place in contemporary culture. In many ways.

62

Broadway is ".. .creating partnership rather than rivalry among men and women"

(Hawkms 96).

These changes in the congregation's way of thinking have come about primarily

because of the inventive leadership in the church. A congregation such as Broadway,

with years of service in the Church of Christ fellowship, is fortunate to have leaders, past

and present, who are innovative and interested in being relevant to the community around

them.

Many Church of Christ congregations are ready to add the power of drama to their

worship services. With time, patience, and the support of the leadership, drama can

become an hivaluable tool in the work of these churches. Appendix A includes a model

for establishing an Aduh Drama Ministiy within a Church of Christ congregation. The

suggestions presented are hicluded to encourage more congregations to add drama to the

ministries of the church and to allow more members to use their talents and gifts to the

glory of God and the benefit of those around them.

63

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Works Cited

Allen, C. Leonard and Richard T. Hughes. Discovering Our Roots: The Ancestiy of the Churches of Christ. Abilene: ACU Press, 1988.

Archer, Stephen M. How Theatre Happens. New York: Macmillan, 1978.

Bates, Alfred, ed. Religious Drama. New York: AMS Press, 1970.

Bennett, Gordon C. Actmg Out Faith. St. Louis: GBP, 1986.

Bent, Elaine. E-mail to the author. 17 June 2002.

—. E-mail to the author. 24 June 2002.

Bert, Norman A. The Drama of Christian Relationships: A Stractural Analysis of Representative Religious Plays. Diss. Indiana U., 1975.

Binkley, Beth. E-mail to the author. 14 July 2002.

Blake, Nelson Manfred. A History of American Life and Thought. New York: McGraw, 1963.

Bost, Thomas G. "Churches of Christ: Potential Contributions to Legal Scholarship and Teaching." Christian Scholars' Foram. Oklahoma Christian University, Edmond, Oklahoma. 19 July 2002.

Brockett, Oscar G. The Essential Theatre. 7*ed. Fort Worth: Harcourt Brace, 2000.

—. History of the Theafre. 7* ed. Boston: AUyn and Bacon, 1995.

Brach, Debra. "The Prejudice Against Theafre." Homepage. I-11, 1998 Michigan Technological University. 3 Feb. 2002 <http://www.fa.mtu.edu/

~dlbrach/prejudice.html>.

Core, Rob. Letter to the author's Dissertation Committee. 20 September 2002.

—. Meeting Minutes: Broadway Church of Christ Elders' Meeting. 9 November 1997.

64

Denman, Stan C. Theafre and Hegemony in the Churches of Christ: A Case Sttidv Using Abilene Christian University Theafre. Diss. Univ. of Pittsburgh, 1998.

Eckstein, Stephen Daniel, Jr. History of the Churches of Christ in Texas 1824-1950. Austin: Firm Foundation, 1963.

Ehrensperger, Harold. Religious Drama: Ends and Means. New York: Abingdon, 1962.

Evans, Seymour. Letter to Jonathan Marks. 9 November 1997.

—. Letter to the author. 22 December 1997.

Gaddy, C. Welton. "Making All Things New." American Theatre Nov. 2000: 18-19.

Gray, Mike, hicorporating Drama m Worship. Kansas City: Lillenas, 1995.

Grose, B. Donald and O. Franklin Kenworthy. A Mirror to Life: A History of Western Theafre. New York: Hoh, Rinehart, Winston, 1985.

Hawkins, Ralph K. A Heritage in Crisis. Lanham: University Press of America, 2001.

Hufstedler, Vfrginia. A Study of the Activities of the Church of Christ m Lubbock County from 1890 to 1925. Thesis. Texas Technological College, 1933.

Hughes, Richard T. Reviving the Ancient Faith. Grand Rapids: Wilham B. Eerdmans, 1996.

Jones, Norman M. "The Dramatic Arts and the Image of God." God Through the Looking Glass. Comp. William David Spencer and Aida Besancon Spencer. Grand Rapids: Baker Books, 1998.

Kuritz, Paul The Makmg of Theatre History. Englewood Cliffs: Prentice Hall, 1988.

Major, Richard. Developing a Dynamic Drama Mmistiry. Cincinnati: Standard, 1999.

Marcelain, Rob. E-mail to the author. 22 July 2002.

Miles, Margaret. "How Should We Live?" American Theafre Nov. 2000: 19+.

Miller, Paul M. Developing the Church Drama Ministry. Kansas City: Lillenas, 1994.

Nelson, Heidi. "The Prophetic Act: Drama as Religious Communication." Christianity and Theafre XXL2 (2000): 36-47.

65

Pederson, Steve. Drama Ministiy. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1999.

Power, Terrie. Telephone interview. 10 April 2002.

Sennett, Herbert. Religion and Dramatics. Lanham: Univ. Press of America, 1995.

Smyth, Robert ed. Developing a Drama Group. Minneapolis: World Wide, 1989.

Works Consulted

Allen, Leonard C. Distinct Voices. Abilene: ACU Press, 1993.

Barish, Jonas. The Antitheatiical Prejudice. Berkeley: Univ. of Cahfomia, 1981.

Barton, Lucy. Costuming the Biblical Play. Boston: Baker, 1962.

Bates, Estiier Willard. The Church Play and fts Production. Boston: Baker, 1938.

Briner, Bob. Roaring Lambs. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1993.

Harris, Max. Theatre and Incamation. New York: St. Martin's Press, 1990.

Harris, Randy. "Will the Churches of Christ Survive the 21''Centiiry?" New Wineskms. Sep/Oct. 2001: 26-27.

Hooper, Robert E. A Distinct People: A History of the Churches of Christ in the 20^ Century. West Monroe: Howard Publishing, 1993.

Hughes, Richard T. and C. Leonard Allen. Illusions of Innocence: Protestant Primitivism in America. 1630-1875. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1988.

Hughes, Richard, Nathan O. Hatch, David Edwhi Harrell, Jr. American Origins of Churches of Christ: Three Essays on Restoration History. Abilene: ACU Press, 2000.

Kerr, James S. The Key to Good Church Drama. Minneapolis: Augsburg, 1964.

Kliewer, Warren. "Counter-Trends and Cross Purposes." Rehgious Theafre 5 (1967): 87-102.

Love, Margaret. Let's Dramatise! London: Gox&Wyman Ltd., 1968.

66

Nelson, Jeff. "Planning Blended Worship." ZOE Worship Conference. Woodmont Hills Church. Nashville, TN. 6 October 2001.

Noland, Rory. The Heart of the Artist. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1999.

Noll, Mark A. "Revisiting Restoration." New Wineskins. Mar/Apr. 2002: 16-19.

67

APPENDD( A

BEGINNING AN ADULT DRAMA MINISTRY

IN A CHURCH OF CHRIST

While several Texas Churches of Christ have developed drama ministries that

perform for various events outside of worship, few have been successful in incorporating

drama into the weekly worship service. For drama to be a teaching tool in worship, and

for a drama ministry to fmd a place in a Church of Christ congregation, a number of

elements must be considered.

While there are a few helpful books available to those wishing to begin a

drama ministry for a church, none of them are written specifically for the challenges

found in a Church of Christ congregation. A list of these resources is included in

Appendix B.

The congregation's leadership, especially the pulph minister, must be in support

of ushig drama in the worship setting. The pulpit minister is usually the key figure in

worship plannmg in a Church of Christ, whether the congregation is large or small. If the

mmister has seen drama used effectively in conjunction with a sermon, he will be more

receptive to adding the element to the service. If the minister sees drama as a tool, and

not as competition for his sermon, he will be more likely to present h positively to the

elders and then to the congregation as a whole. Few drama ministiies can survive

without the help and encouragement of the pulpit minister.

68

The elders, as overseers of the congregation, are cracial to the success of any

ministry. Elders who have witiiessed the power of drama in a worship service can

encourage the eldership as a whole to give approval for the ministry and allow it to grow

and develop into a useful tool. Careful plarming and good communication by the

ministry leader will result in a sfrong relationship between the ministry and the elders.

This relationship, built on trast, must be cultivated for the ministry to grow to maturity.

If the congregation is large enough to have a worship minister, his support is vital

to the ministry. Children's ministers, involvement ministers, and education ministers can

also be great allies for the drama ministry.

A congregation planning to begin a drama ministry needs to find a member with

theafre experience to lead the ministry. It is also wise to use someone known by the

congregation and who knows and understands the culture of the church. Church of Christ

congregations typically do not bring in non-members to begin a program for the church.

Many congregations have theatrically talented members waitmg for their God-given

abilities to be recognized and used. Someone with experience, especially directing

experience, in professional theafre, academic theatre (college or high school), or

community theatre is needed to supervise the ministiy. The quality of the early

performances will either prolong the life of the ministiy or lead to an early demise.

If no one with framing is available, the church leaders would be wise to encourage

a church member to seek framing in theafre before the ministiy begins. Courses in

acting, directing, script analysis, arts administration, and playwriting would be

beneficial for the leader and other members of the drama group, hi some congregations.

69

a woman can be accepted as a leader ofa ministry such as this, but if there is any

indication ofa question concerning women's roles, the elders should appoint a man to

head the new ministry.

Once a leader is chosen, fiirther organization is needed. The ministry leader

should assemble a core group or committee to begin planning and supporting the

ministiy. It is important to include at least one elder, one deacon, and one staff member

in this group. These congregational leaders can assist in defining the need for the

ministry and teach the new leader how to work within the system the church has

established for organization. In the early stages of planning a drama ministry, it is

helpful to contact the few Churches of Christ with active drama ministries in place (see

list at end of appendix). The contacts made in these other congregations can be

exfremely encouraging. Other drama ministry leaders can advise the group, recommend

materials, help frain actors and technicians, and prevent the group from making mistakes

in the process of developing a ministry. Non-Church of Christ drama ministries can also

be studied as examples of success in their churches.

The ministry needs to identify its target audience. As Richard Majors writes in

Developing a Dynamic Drama Ministir, "Knowing your audience is important in

everythhig that will follow, from script selection, through casting and rehearsal process,

to the fmished product. The approach to the work is often dictated by your target

audience" (32).

After the target audience is determined, the committee should draft a mission

statement and several goals to guide the mmistiy. The mission statement should reflect

70

the culture of the church and of the community.

There is a special sense in which the Church and its drama ministry must be accountable to the culture around it. In no other ministry is there more meaningful opportunity to speak in terms and symbols the culture understands. It is in the interaction between the Church and the culture where drama ministries may speak appealingly or prophetically in ways the secular mind can hear, while yet maintaining a deep and authentic commitment to the mission and the message of the Church. (Miller 22)

The committee should also determine if fimds from the congregation could be available

and follow the process for submitting a budget proposal. Items to be considered for the

budget proposal include script royalties and purchase fees, rental fees, costummg, tickets,

and programs. At this pomt, the ministry leader needs to find out what is available at the

church building ofa technical nature. Lighting, sound equipment, platforms, costumes,

and props can be built into the budget as long term planning items if the congregation

does not own what is needed.

Once the committee agrees upon the mission statement, goals, and budget

proposal, these should be presented to the eldership, either by the ministry leader or by

one of the elders who supports the new mhiistry. Having these documents in writing

indicates that thoughtful planning is going into the ministiy and will help convhice the

elders of the serious nature of the proposals (see Appendix D for examples).

The mhiistiy leader should consider joinmg national theatre organizations, such as

Christians in Theatre Arts, and state organizations, such as the Texas Educational Theafre

Association, to gain contacts and mformation. The pubhcations and services provided by

these organizations can greatly benefit a new or experienced director. Worship

71

conferences, such as the ZOE Conference in Nashville, Tennessee, can also be sources

for contacts and seminars on church drama.

After the elder's approval has been granted and the target audience has been

determined, plans for the first production should begin. It is very important to start

small. Robert Smyth writes in Developing a Drama Group. "The most common

mistake made by a drama group just starting out is taking on a project too big for them to

do with quality" (35). hi addition, most Churches of Christ would be advised to begin

witii productions outside the worship service, even if performmg during the worship is

the ultimate goal of the group and the leadership. Productions, large or small, at other

events give the director a chance to determine who is interested m drama, who has

experience and/or talent, and how the congregation as a whole will react to the drama

mhiistry.

For some congregations, it would be a good idea to begin with a secular script

performed for a social event, refreat, or banquet. This allows the congregation to see

your work in a non-threatening setting. The Broadway Adult Drama Ministry chose a

one-act play, Gift of the Magi, for an early holiday production. Some established drama

mhiistries have found that the typical Christmas or Easter pageant is difficult to produce

because of the time and expense involved. A beginning ministry may also find that it

carmot compete with the quality of the pageants produced at other neighborhood churches

with well-established dramatic fraditions.

Small productions may hiclude readers theafre, short topical scenes, or a

dramatized Scripture readhig. Choose something that can be done simply and with

72

quality. George Sorensen's Celebrating the Psalms is an example produced by the

Broadway Adult Drama Ministiy. hi Sorensen's unpublished script, he selected twenty

different psalms from the King James Version of the Bible to be acted or sung. For

example. Psalm 100 was used to open the performance, and the four actors each spoke

different lines from tiie psalm. Two actors quoted Psalm 98, alternating the verses. "Be

Still and Know," a hymn with words from Psalm 46 was sung. One actor began singing

tiie verse and was soon joined by a second actor, then a third actor joined them on the

next line until all three were singing together. The four actors sang other hymns with

psalm texts as solos, duets, or group songs; the audience was invited to sing with them on

several of the songs. The spoken psalms were staged using movement to give emphasis

to the words and to give a visually interesting presentation to the audience. The actors

moved and interacted as they spoke, interpreting the text instead of standing and reciting

h.

It is very important to select the material or script carefully. Offending members

of the congregation at this point will almost certainly cause the elders to question

conthiuing the mhiistry. If uncertam, allow an elder, deacon, or staff member to read

the script and advise the leader before a final decision is made and the script is presented

to the entfre eldership. A good place to start is with Scripture as the text. A thoroughly

rehearsed reading or recitation of a Biblical passage can reawaken the audience to the

power and beauty of God's written word. Old Testament books, such as Job, and New

Testament passages, such as the Sermon on the Mount, are excellent sources for dramatic

readings.

73

Several factors need to be considered when choosing a script to be performed

during a Church of Christ worship service. Knowing the audience, in this case the

congregation, is very significant. The scene needs to fit within the time allowed for h in

the service and should conform to tiie theme or lesson being presented. Dramatized or

choral scripture readings are often an acceptable way to introduce dramatic elements to

the service. Biblical characters can be acted as monologues or as short scenes. Using the

Bible as tiie text is usually one of the most suitable ways to add acting.

If tiie lesson involves contemporary social issues, the script should be carefully

selected and thoroughly discussed with the preacher prior to its inclusion in the service.

Scripts should be engaging and create high audience identification. They should have a

clear stracture, adequate conflict, and credible characters (Pederson 127). The script

may be humorous or touchhig, but it should have a singular focus. Profanity and

innuendo should always be avoided. The script should not preach or offer "pat" answers

to serious questions. Some scripts would not be appropriate because of doctrinal issues

included in them. Often it is best for the script to be open-ended, allowing the conclusion

to be drawn by the preacher or the audience. Scripts should deal with real issues in a

realistic manner.

There are several excellent sources for well-written scripts for use in worship and

at other events. A list of sources and publishers appears Appendix B. Begin with

pubhshed scripts that have been performed and tested by others. If there are those hi the

mhiistry who wish to write for the group, it would be better to wait until the ministry is

firmly established before performhig new, untried scripts. Be sure to read the

74

performance agreement and pay any royalties or fees attached to the production of the

script.

After choosing the material, ask the elders to read and approve it. Explain where,

when, and how it will be presented. Although this may vary from congregation to

congregation, it is usually a good idea to seek approval at least two weeks ahead for a

small production and several months ahead for a larger one.

After the script or text has been approved, the ministry leader, if serving as

dfrector for the production, will need to choose a cast. In the begirming stages of

developing a ministry, it is preferable to choose actors rather than hold open auditions.

Because most Church of Christ congregations do not have active drama ministries, it is

probable that very few adults would audition for a production until the ministry is well

established and accepted. Rather than risk not having a complete and/or talented cast, or

risk offending church members by not casting them after they audition, the dfrector

should ask various church members to act roles suited to their ability and temperament.

Once the ministry is frnnly in place, open auditions can be held more successfully. A

small cast for the first production allows for better quality control and encourages a sense

of community within the cast.

Once the production is cast, the director should begin to make decisions

concerning the technical aspects of the production. Members should be recraited to

help, especially if they have expertise m the technical areas, hivolving more people

creates more interest in and loyalty to the new ministiy.

75

Church of Christ buildings do not typically have stages, although some of the

larger auditoriums do have open, elevated areas for the pulph. Many buildings do have

fellowship halls or large classrooms suitable for a small production. Some congregations

do not feel comfortable using the auditorium for any event other than worship, so

altemate areas should be chosen for early productions. Since visibility is so important,

the use ofa stage or moveable platforms is recommended.

Lighting can be the most significant technical element. Although most Church of

Christ buildings do not employ stage lighting equipment, the dfrector needs to find a way

to hght the playing area and focus the audience's attention during the production. Even

simple frack lighting can enhance the performance area if the ceiling of the room is low.

The point is, as Majors says, to "keep set and hghting simple and purposefiil" (117).

If the acoustics of the performance facility are adequate, it is preferable not to use

microphones for the actors, but if the space is large, or acoustically "dead," microphones

may be used. Lapel microphones can work well for acting and are less inti^sive. If the

congregation has a sound technician, he or she needs to be consulted and recraited for the

drama ministry. The audience must be able to hear and see what is happening hi the

scenes.

Few congregations in the beginning stages of a drama ministiy will have all the

technical elements necessary for a large, complicated production. Simplicity is the key to

getting started. After the leadership is convinced of the quahty of tiie work of the

mmistiy, they may be open to fimding more of the group's technical needs. Until then,

the dfrector and tiie actors should set high standards and then be flexible in thefr planning.

76

The director may be able to borrow equipment and other technical necessities

from local high schools, colleges, or other congregations. Relationships developed with

otiier theafre groups can benefit the ministry in many areas. Enlist the cast to help locate

sources for equipment.

Printed programs and tickets for a production may vary with the size of the

production and the congregation producing it. Early, smaller productions may not require

tickets, and advertising may be limited to the congregation itself, depending on the target

audience decided earlier. Church bulletins, oral announcements, and flyers given out in

Bible classes can advertise the production to members. When the ministry's target

audience is outside the church, newspaper, radio, and television advertishig may need to

be considered.

Rehearsals should be plarmed in advance and scheduled when the cast members

are available. In some congregations, Wednesday evening class time may be used for

rehearsal time with the permission of the elders. Rehearsals should be organized, begin

and end on time, and call for only the cast members who appear in the scenes being

rehearsed. Volunteer adult actors should not be asked to sit through hours of rehearsal if

they are not involved onstage.

Each individual congregation must determine the length of time it takes to

progress from performing at events other than worship to performing during worship

services. The church leadership must want to include drama m the worship service for it

to be successful. Let the preacher and the elders assigned to guide the ministiy determine

when the congregation is ready for the next step. In some cases, that may be a few

77

montiis into the ministry, but in many cases it will take several years for this process to

take place. At tiie Broadway congregation, the transition took approximately three and

one half years.

Once tiie leadership feels the congregation is ready, plans for the first presentation

should be carefully made. Quality is again a primary goal. It may be wise to begin

adding drama in a Wednesday evening worship time or a Sunday evening service before

usmg drama in a Sunday morning worship assembly. If the congregation has more than

one Sunday moming service, tiie leadership may want to add drama to one of these

services, but not the other. This seems to be an effective way to add a drama ministry

witiiout creating a problem for those members who do not think drama is appropriate in

worship. Again, the leadership should guide these decisions.

The selection of the material will need to be especially thoughtful and considered

by the ministry leader, preacher, worship minister (if there is one), and anyone else

charged with planning services. Willow Creek and Lihenas Publishing offer many fine

scripts for use in worship.

There are several purposes for drama in the worship listed here, and the ministry

leader should be flexible hi using scenes for any of these purposes when needed. Drama

may be used to illusfrate the sermon. This could mclude acting a story sfraight from the

Biblical text the preacher has chosen, such as scenes from the book of Ruth. In other

cases, the drama may be a contemporary scene that sets up a question to which the

preacher will supply a Biblical answer.

78

It is very important for the drama in worship not to "preach." As Steve Pederson

writes, "Good drama doesn't preach. Dorothy Sayers, a great Christian novelist and

playwright, said it best, 'Playwrights are not evangelists.'... Rather, drama could be

used to create identification with an audience, to expose a problem, to present a 'shce of

life' in which tiie audience could readily see themselves" (25). Drama troupes that

attempt to preach often come across as fake and self-righteous.

Scenes may be used to illuminate another element of the service, such as giving,

communion, or praying. Scenes can be used to make special announcements of

upcommg events to the congregation. Humorous scenes can work well in this area.

The drama ministiy may be used to supply oral Scripture readings and choral readings for

a service. Monologues can be especially effective for communion meditations and

sermon illusfrations.

The director should follow the same guidelines in casting the worship scene as in

casting a production outside of worship. By the time drama is added to the worship, he

should know which members have the most interest and ability. There will be some

Church of Christ members who have no problem acting m productions outside of

worship, but are very uncomfortable taking a role in a worship scene. The dfrector

should be very sensitive to this and allow the actors to "fit in" where they are the most

comfortable. As scenes in worship become more common, some of the actors will be

ready to join the casts.

It is very important tiiat tiie length of scenes fit into the planned worship time.

Some congregations have lost the use of drama because ofa shortened service time.

79

Communication with the preacher and worship planners is vital to adding drama. Scenes

need to be well rehearsed, effectively paced, and easily grasped in the time allotted. The

director will need to make technical decisions based on the performance area designated

in worship. Visibility and audibility are again the dominant factors to consider. The

scene must be well rehearsed. Actors should be encouraged to memorize their lines

quickly.

At the time when the drama ministry moves into the worship service, the ministry

leader may want to assemble an actual drama team or group. If the ministry has been

performing outside of worship for a time, the ministry leader will have been able to

ascertain which of the actors have the most ability, work ethic, and interest in performing

in worship. Choosing a small froupe of six to ten actors gives the ministry a greater focus

and sense of community. It creates trast and a greater potential for quality. At Broadway,

eight actors were chosen to be the core group for most scenes with others being added as

needed.

Once the froupe is formed, actor fraining can sfrengthen the individuals and

inspire the group. The ministry leader can coach the group or bring m other theatre

teachers to teach classes or hold seminars. A six-week course on Wednesday evenings

worked well for the Broadway troupe, but other congregations have had success using

one all-day Saturday fraining seminar.

The keys to adding a successful drama ministry in a Church of Christ

congregation include the following suggestions: know the congregation and tiie

leadership, work within the established system, do quality work, and be flexible and

80

creative. The ministiy leader should always set an example of following the guidelines

given to tiie group by the leadership. The ministry leader should also be receptive to

using drama in a variety of ways. Finally, keeping the froupe active and exched about

performing increases the quality and visibility of the ministry.

Begirming an adult drama ministry in a Church of Christ congregation can be

accomplished with sfrong support from the church leadership, a ministry leader with

theafre experience, careful planning, and patience. Many congregations are ready to use

the power of drama to make their worship services more meaningful and culturally

relevant to thefr audiences.

81

BROADWAY ADULT DRAMA MINISTRY PERFORMANCES

July 1997, Celebrating the Psalms by George Sorensen

December 1997, The Gift of the Magi by Mindy Stames Clark

(adapted from O. Henry)

March 29, 1998, Angels in Pinafores by Alice Lee Humphreys

Aug 6, 1998, Mother/Daughter Talk by Janet Guise and Jacqueline Moody

December 1998, Christmas Cradle/Christmas Cross by Lee Magness

October 1999, Words by Fanny J. Crosby by Dan Neidermyer

Febraary 2000, 3 monologues for Celebration Sunday evenhig service

Worship Scenes:

April 29, 2001 The Gift by Dan Underwood

June 3, 2001 monologue by Dan Underwood

July 8, 2001 World Wide Dynamics by Dan Underwood

July 29, 2001 The Woman Caught in Adultery- John 8:2-11

August 12, 2001 The Offering by Judson Poling

Choral Reading from Isaiah adapted by David Langford

September 9, 2001 Life Cycle by Sharon Sherbondy

October 14, 2001 Mary Magdalene monologue - adapted from the Gospels

Febraary 8, 2002 Father/Daughter Banquet: The Dance by Richard Paul Evans

Febraary 10, 2002 Where's the Change?

March 31,2002 Four monologues from Alive!

82

April 28, 2002 The Allowance by Curt Cloninger

April 21, April 28 Missionary Program Builder #4 compiled by Paul M. Miller

May 19, 2002 The Day of Pentecost from The Word in Worship by Paul M. Miller and Jeff Wyatt

June 2, 2002 Catch 22 by Sharon Sherbondy

August 18, 2002 Angels in Pinafores by Ahce Lee Humphreys

September 1, 2002 Under God's Wings adapted from Ruth

September 22, 2002 The Prisoner by Doima Hinkle Lagerquist

83

ORGANIZATIONAL CHARTS

Worship Scene Productions

1 Worship Minister

Elders 1^

1 \ >• • >

Preacher

1 Drama Ministry Leader

1-

1 V

Actors

1 r '\

Worship Planning Committee

V. ' '

1 Technicians

Special Event Productions

Elders

X Actors

Drama Ministry

Leader

T I T

Technicians Programs/ Publicity

1. Hospitality

84

BROADWAY ADULT DRAMA MINISTRY

DslTEREST SURVEY

Please indicate what areas interest you:

NAME WORSHIP SPECIAL ACTING TECHNICAL PHONE # SCENES EVENTS

Please list other Broadway adults you know who have the talent and/or interest to be involved in the Drama Ministry.

NAME PHONE #

85

TIMELINE FOR PRODUCING A WORSHIP SCENE

Four weeks before performance: Get sermon topic/service theme from planning committee and preacher. Search script library and web-sites for appropriate scripts.

Three weeks before performance: Present selected scripts at worship plarming meeting to discuss and make final selection. Contact actors and cast script.

Two weeks before performance: Copy and distribute scripts. First rehearsal - read-through of the script; discuss characters. Second rehearsal - block the script.

One week before performance: Third rehearsal - check line memorization. Select and fit costumes. Gather props. Check and adjust lighting. Inform sound technician of requfrements. Inform worship minister of information to be included in worship bulletin.

Day before performance: Dress rehearsal. Set up stage in worship area. Re-adjust hghting if necessary.

Day of performance: Line check. Designate ushers to help with lighting. Inform actors of worship order and plan enfrances.

86

ADULT ACTING SEMINAR SYLLABUS

Mission Statement The Broadway Adult Drama Ministiy seeks to minister to the Broadway congregation

through communication, education, encouragement, and to serve as a method of out-reach to the unchurched in our community.

Class Times: Wednesdays 7:00-8:00 p.m. six weeks in June and July

Course Objectives: 1. The actors will become familiar with basic stage terminology through the use

of printed materials and practical application. 2. The actors will leam to relax and focus concenfration through relaxation

exercises performed in class individually and concenfration classes performed as a group.

3. The actors will improve their improvisation skills through the rehearsal and performance of nonsense scenes with various partners.

4. The actors will become better acquainted with other actors in the class, and therefore more comfortable acting withhi the group, by way of acting exercises in class and social fimctions outside of class.

Books: Acting Essentials by Alex Golson The Heart of the Artist by Rory Noland

Glass Activities:

Pre-class class dinner; discuss class time, goals, and future performance opportunities

Week 1 relaxation, warm-up, focus, stage terminology, miming famihar tasks Week 2 relaxation, warm-up, movement exercises, nonsense scenes Week 3 warm-up, nonsense scenes, discussion of section from The Heart of the

Artist Week 4 warm-up, block new scene Week 5 warm-up, read short scenes, discuss character development Week 6 class discussion on future plans for ministry

87

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91

ORDER OF WORSHIP JUNE 2, 2002

Order of Worship June 2, 2002

Broadway Church of Christ

"Decision...How & Who?" (Worship Leader: Ryan Christian)

"Thank You, Lord"

WELCOME/PRAYER (John Grumpier)

PRAISE MEDLEY "Nobody Fills My Heart Like Jesus "

"You Are Worthy of My Praise " "Lord, I Lift Your Name on High "

OFFERING

"Lord, Take Control" "Here In This Place "

LORD'S SUPPER

DRAMA: "Catch 22" by Sharon Sherbondy (Judy Linker, Debra Rogers)

"Step by Step" "HeLeadethMe"

MESSAGE — "Decision...How & Who?"

(Rodney Plunket)

RESPONSE TIME

"You Are My King"

CLOSING COMMENTS & PRAYER (David Ruebush)

92

ORDER OF WORSHIP SEPTEMBER 22,2002

Order of Worship September 22, 2062

Broadway Church of Christ

'Why Can't I Forgive Myself?'' (Worship Leader: Adam Looney)

PRAISE MEDLEY "This Is How We Overcome "

"Great Are You Lord" "I Stand In Awe"

FELLOWSHIP GREETING TIME

WELCOME/ OFFERING (Brook Roberts)

SCRIPTURE READING: 1 John 1:9

(PaulLadd)

"Have Mercy On Me. O God"

MESSAGE: "Why Can't I Forgive Myself? Parti (Rodney Plunket)

"You Are My King" "ThankYou. Lord!"

DRAMA: "TJte Prisoner" (by Donna Hinkle Lagerquist) (Bob Barnhill. Rob Core.'Erin Kahoa, Lisa Mack)

MESSAGE: "Why Can't I Forgive Myself?" Part 2

"I Need You More "

LORD'S SUPPER

RESPONSE TIME

"You Are My King"

CLOSING COMMENTS & PRAYER (DavidRuebush)

"This Is How We Overcome "

93

APPENDIX B

RESOURCES

Gray, Mike. Incoroorating Drama in Worship Kansas City: Lillenas, 1995.

Gray's short book on adding drama to worship has very good insights and advice on being a servant artist, using drama wisely, and selecting a target audience. It is an excellent resource for keeping focused; however, it does not address using drama outside of worship, which is where most Church of Christ congregations would be wise to start. It also does not address seeking approval for the ministry in terms relevant to a Church of Christ.

Major, Richard. Developing a Dvnamic Drama Ministry. Cincinnati: Standard, 1999.

Major's book is very complete and covers topics ranging from defming a purpose for the ministry to basic stage terminology and publicity. The book includes several lists and forms and a carefully selected resource section at the end. He also adds lots of acting exercises and advice for new actors. This is a very useful book; the language of this book better fits Church of Christ terminology, but it does speak in terms of choirs and bands, which are not part of Church of Christ worship services.

Miller, Paul M. Developing the Church Drama Ministrv. Kansas City: Lillenas, 1994.

Miller's book is very brief and tries to cover many topics. Sections on ministry and preparing a purpose statement are included. It is a useful reference, but does not give very complete information; some of the chapters are only outlines. It does include several forms and diagrams, but the church terminology is different from that used in Churches of Christ.

Noland, Rory. The Heart of the Artist. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1999.

This book is not about developing a drama ministry, but about the artist's character and integrity in relationship to the church. It offers advice on topics such as "Managing Your Emotions," "Leading Artists," and "The Spiritual Disciplines of the Artist." Although this book does not deal specifically with Church of Christ issues, it is a valuable, thought-provoking resource for a drama miaistry leader.

94

Pederson, Steve. Drama Ministry. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1999.

Pederson is the director of drama at Willow Creek Community Church outside of Chicago. His book includes a long section on auditions and a chapter on writing sketches for worship. The chapters on directing and staging are very useful for new directors; the book comes with a CD ROM that gives examples of the staging techniques. This is a very good book for those starting a drama ministry, but the terminology does not always fit Churches of Christ, and he does not address the approval process.

Smyth, Robert ed. Developing a Drama Group. Mirmeapolis: World Wide, 1989.

When this book was written, Smyth was Producing Artistic Director for the Lamb's Players in San Diego. The book has very practical information on starting a drama group, but some of it is rather dated, such as the section on Street Theatre. Lamb's Players is a non-profit organization, and the information on incorporating would not apply to most church drama ministries.

Script Sources

Curt Cloninger. Drama for Worship. Cincinnati: Standard Publishing, 1999. http://www.curtcloninger.com (web page)

Drama Share http://dramashare.org/

Eldridge Publishing P.O. Box 14367 Tallahassee, FL 32317 1-800-95-Church www.95church.com

Johnson Creative Enterprises, Paul and Nicole Johnson P.O. Box 3027 Brentwood, TN 37027

Lillenas Drama: Nazarene Publishing 2823 Troost Ave.; P.O. Box 419527 Kansas City, MO 64141 (816)931-1900

Willow Greek Association P.O. Box 3188 Barrington, Illinois 60011 -3188

95

Zondervan Publishing 5300 Patterson SE Grand Rapids, Ml 49512 (800)876-7335

Theafre Organizations:

Christians in Theafre Arts (CITA): http://www.cita.org/

Texas Educational Theafre Association: http://www.tetatx.coin/

Texas Church of Christ Drama Ministries

Preston Road Church of Christ - Elaine Bent and the Good Muse Troupe! 6409 Preston Rd. Dallas, TX 75205

Richland Hills Church of Christ - Terrie Power and Shelley Park 6300 NE Loop 820 North Richland Hills, TX 76180-7899

Southem Hills Church of Christ - Rob Marcelain 3666 Buffalo Gap Rd. Abilene, TX 79605

South MacArthur Church of Christ 1401 S. MacArthur frving, TX 75060

96

APPENDDC C

CONGREGATIONAL SURVEY

Choose one answer for each question.

1. My age is a. over 55 b. 41-55 c. 26-40 d. 18-25

2. I have been a member of the Church of Christ for a. over 40 years. b. 20-40 years. c. 10-20 years. d. 1-10 years. e. I am not a member of the Church of Christ.

3. 1 have been a member at Broadway for a. over 25 years. b. 11-25 years c. 6-10 years. d. 2-5 years. e. less than 2 years. f I am a visitor to Broadway.

4. I have a. never attended a church with a drama ministry before. b. seen an adult drama ministry in another church where I visited. c. been a member ofa church with an active drama ministry. d. been a member of a drama ministry myself

5. I attend a. the second service all the time. b. the second service most of the time, occasionally the first service. c. the first service most of the time, occasionally the second service. d. the first service, and this is the first time I have attended the second.

97

6. I have seen the Broadway Adult Drama Ministry perform in the second service a. at least 5 times. b. 2-4 times. c. once. d. never.

7. The quality level of the performances I have seen in the second service has been a. excellent. b. good. c. fair. d. poor. e. I have never seen the drama ministry perform in the second service.

8. I feel that dramatic scenes contribute in a positive way to the worship service. a. sfrongly agree b. agree c. disagree d. sfrongly disagree e. 1 have never seen a drama performance in a worship service.

9. The Mission of the Broadway Adult Drama Ministry seeks to minister to the Broadway congregation through communication, education, and encouragement, and to serve as a method of out-reach to the unchurched in our community.

I think the Adult Drama Ministry is fulfilling its mission as stated. a. sfrongly agree b. agree c. disagree d. sfrongly disagree

The goals of the Adult Drama Ministry are listed below. Do you think the ministry is meeting its stated goals?

10. a. yes b. no To allow members to use God-given talents to serve the congregation.

11. a. yes b. no To promote the oral fradition of Scripture. 12. a. yes b. no To teach lessons through dramatic literature. 13. a. yes b. no To provide opportunities, other than worship services,

for members to invite fiiends to attend. 14. a. yes b. no To involve members of all ages in a unified activity

for the benefit of the entire congregation.

15. a. yes b. no To provide a continuing ministry that will involve groups of members for years to come.

98

16. I attend secular, live theafre performances a. at least 5 times per year. b. 2-4 times per year. c. once a year. d. never.

17. 1 think Adult Drama should be used in this second worship service to e. support a point in the sermon, f teach a lesson of its own. g. make armouncements. h. All of the above, i. None of the above.

ADDITIONAL COMMENTS:

99

40 35 4 30 25 20 15 10

5 0

SURVEY RESULTS

1. My age is

18-25 26-40 41-55

Figure C.l Results to Survey question 1. My age is.

over 55

2. I have been a member of the Church of Christ for

40 -|

30 -

20 -10

0 -

£/

^•6

—

'

—1

not a member

1-10 years

10-20 years

20-40 years

over 40 years

Figure C.2 Results to Survey question 2. I have been a member of the Church of Christ for.

100

3. I have been a member at Broadway for

35 30 25 20 15 10 5 0 pi

... _— z

1

visitor less than 2-5 6-10 11-25 2 years years years years

over 25 years

Figure C.3 Results to Survey question 3. I have been a member at Broadway for.

4. I have

—,. ,....- —— _™ —„,— ,, „ aHI

never attended a

church with a drama ministry

seen an adult drama

ministry in another church

been a member of a church with an active drama ministry

been a member of a

drama ministry myself

Figure C.4 Results to Survey question 4. I have.

101

5. I attend the

second second first service first service, service all service most most of the and this is the time of the time, time, the first time

occasionally occasionally I have the first the second attended the

second

both all the time

Figure C.5 Results to Sxu 'ey question 5. I attend the.

50 1

40 -

30 20 10 -

U H

6. 1 have seen the Broadway Adult Drama Ministry perform in the second

service

1 — - — —

1 1 ' 1 1

never once 2-4 times at least 5 times

Figure C.6 Results to Siu^ey question 6. I have seen the Broadway Adult Drama Ministry perform in the second service.

102

40 35 30 25 20 15 10 5 0

7. The quality level of the performances I have seen in the

second service has been

never seen poor fair good excellent

Figure C.7 Resuhs to survey question 7. The quality level of the performances I have seen in the second service has been.

50

40

30

20

10

0

8. I feel that dramatic scenes contribute in a positive way to the

worship service

never seen strongly disagree

disagree agree strongly agree

Figure C. 8 Results to survey question 8. I feel that dramatic scenes confribute in a positive way to the worship service.

103

9. I think the Adult Drama Ministry is fulfilling its mission as stated.

50

40

30

20

10

0 I strongly agree

agree disagree strongly disagree

Figure C.9 Results to Survey question 9. I think the Aduh Drama Ministry is fulfilling its mission as stated.

Do you think the ministry is meeting its stated goals?

S1

Figure C. 10 Results to Survey questions 10-15. Do you think the ministiy is meeting its stated goals?

104

40 35 30 25 20 15 10

16. I attend secular, live theatre performances

. -.-. __ „ .

. .

IH',—, — ^ - — ^ — 1 1 1 1 f 1 1

at least 5 times per

year

2-4 times per once a year year

never

Figure C. 11 Results to Survey question 16. I attend secular, live theafre performances.

40 1 30 20 10 0 -I

17. 1 think Adult Drama should be used in this second worship

service to

— -

• • 1 t

supp

ort a

po

int

in t

he

serm

on

teac

h a

less

on o

f its

ow

n

mak

e an

noun

cem

en

ts

r 1

all

of t

he

abov

e

none

of

the

abov

e

Figure C. 12 Results to Survey question 17.1 think Adult Drama should be used in this second service to.

105

CONGREGATIONAL SURVEY RESULTS

Date of Survey: September 8, 2002

Number in attendance at service: 208

Number of surveys disfributed: 275

Number of surveys completed: 101

ADDITIONAL COMMENTS:

Thanks for having this worship service.

There seems to be an unhealthy focus on this issue. It unveils a hidden tension (at least to me). If there is a focus on this issue perhaps it is a symptom ofa greater problem.

I appreciate all the hard work the folks in the drama ministry do! You guys are a tme blessing to this service and the church as a whole. Thanks for sharing your gifts and your talents!

I think it is a wonderftil opportunity to share the gospel in a non-fraditional way.

Laurie Doyle does a great job with our Drama Ministry.

I grow uncomfortable when the drama is too long and so secular in nature that I fear a visitor does not know what direction it's going.

I am an adult teacher/student here to work on my master's degree. I am interested in becoming a part of Broadway's Aduh Drama Ministry.

1 think involving more people in worship is great!

More! Great job but would like to see you expand.

Why just second service?

You do a very good j ob!! Many thanks for your hard work!!

Last Sunday's drama, coordinated with the sermon, was wonderfiil and very effective.

106

1 tiiink the song leader should tum his volume down so you can hear the congregation instead of only him.

1 have been attending Broadway about 3 years, but I have never placed membership.

I feel that the drama is sometimes a distraction to the point of the lesson.

I went to a Baptist church with a mime team. Usually attend other congregations. 1 can't say I've ever seen a drama team that I enjoyed. I caimot say that I've found a direct relationship between the above stated elements of the Broadway Adult Drama Ministry Mission and the drama teams I've seen. However, the drama presentations, along w/preacher not wearing ties, add to the laid back, close fellowship that the second service provides.

in lieu of worship service there should be drama!

107

APPENDDC D

PROPOSAL TO BROADWAY ELDERS

Proposal for ADULT DRAMA MINISTRY

Broadway Church of Christ October 1997

As members of the Broadway family, we would like to propose that a new ministry be established and be known as the Adult Drama Ministry.

Mission Statement The Broadway Adult Drama Ministry seeks to minister to the Broadway congregation

through commimication, education, encouragement, and to serve as a method of out-reach to the unchurched in our community.

GOALS OF THE MINISTRY:

1. To allow members to use God-given talents to serve the congregation.

2. To promote the oral tradition of the scriptures.

3. To teach lessons through dramatic literature.

4. To provide opportunities other than worship for members to invite fiiends to attend.

5. To involve members of all ages in a unified activity for the benefit of the entfre congregation.

6. To provide a continuing ministiy that will involve groups of members for years to come.

108

NEEDS OF THE MINISTRY:

1. Core group of actors, acfresses, singers, readers

2. Support group of set builders, painters, costumers, sound and Hght technicians (#1 and #2 will be supported greatiy by the database being set up by the Involvement Ministry; this ministry fits under the Church Edification group for Education and Fellowship)

3. Budget from the congregation: see page #2

4. Spiritual support and guidance from nurturing elders

Submitted by:

David and Laurie Doyle Brooks and MaryAnn Loveless Rodney Plunket Dr. George and Ruth Sorensen Jim Beck Chad Plunket Jon Sorensen Karen Reams John and Robbi Cmmpler Mr. & Mrs. Samuel Hyland Steve and Marcelia Sawyers Adam Looney Bill Starcher

109

BROADWAY ADULT DRAMA MINISTRY PROPOSED BUDGET

1997

Approximate budget needs for:

two full-length productions per year one or two small acting groups performing short thematic programs

for Growth Groups, classes, or worship services

Rental fees for copyrighted material:

Script piu-chase/ rental of scores:

Musical arrangements:

Technical:

Lighting Soimd Set Costumes/Make-up

Programs/Publicity

$250.00

50.00

250.00

650.00 ** 100.00 250.00 300.00

150.00

Total yearly estimated budget $2000.00

** This figure includes funds for the purchase of additional lighting equipment over the

next several years.

110

BUDGET REPORT FOR GIFT OF THE MAGI

DECEMBER 1997

Income: Funds from congregational budget Ticket sales:

Sattirday 67 @ 10.00 17 @ 6.50

Sunday 87 @ 5.00

Total Income:

$250.00

670.00 110.50

435.00

$1465.50

Expenses: Script purchase and performance rights $ 39.95

Set materials 117.07

Props 169.33

Programs 30.00

Decorations/ refreshments 27.00

Misc. 102.44

Caterers 84 @ 6.25 525.00 (includes $100.00 deposit)

Total Expenses: $1010.79

Income $1465.50

Revenue $ 454.71 Expenses 1010.79

111

APPENDDC E

LETTER FROM BROADWAY ELDER

TO DISSERTATION COMMITTEE

9-23-02

To: Dissertation Committee for Laurie Doyle From: Rob Core, Elder-Broadway Church of Christ

Dear Sirs,

I was pleased to be present at tiie November 1997 Elder's Meeting when we officially approved tiie Drama Ministty at the Broadway Church of Christ.

Since that time, we have been so pleased with this ministry for many reasons, ft has involved many people who share a love for Drama. It has also proved to be an effective way to "support" the message that has been delivered from our Pulpit. It is our belief that this ministry supports the concept that people will remember much more of what they see than what they hear. Remarkably, this ministry has also been able to be used on a regular and consistent basis without a major cost to the budget of our Church.

For years, the children of our church have put on a musical/drama and it was always well attended. We were hesitant to use Adult Drama in our services because of our heritage of NOT using drama as a means of communication to our congregation. It has been so well received and is now an integral part of our Worship Service.

We always give God the glory for things, but it must be stated that much of the credit for the success of this ministry goes to Ms. Laurie Doyle. She has met with our Pulpit Minister so that the production will coincide with his sermons. She has acquired the scripts, contacted the actors, given her time for rehearsals and directed each in an amazingly unselfish and loving way. We are tiiily blessed to have her and her family at our Church. Many persons either disregard their gifts, or are not able to use those gifts as God has blessed them. Laurie has used her gifts and this plan for her Doctorate to bless the lives and hearts of hundreds of people.

Sincerely,

Rob Core, Elder—Broadway Church of Christ

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