When Longview moved to its present location in 1969, the congregation was filled with excitement and anticipation. The spacious sanctuary and educational wing presented opportunities to expand and develop ministries. The new location also presented some challenges as well. One of the immediate problems was the sound system. When Longview Heights Baptist Church moved out, they took the sound system with them. Because of the present need, Pastor Robert Willis had a Radio Shack four channel system with a few small speakers installed in the sanctuary. The controls to the system were tucked away in a dusty, cluttered closet behind the main sanctuary.
A cassette tape recorder was later added to record the services. Bro. Herbert Brown Sr., Bro. Ricky Johnson and others operated this system and did their best. When there were adjustments to be made to the sound, you had to go to the closet. The sound system was eventually moved from the closet into the sanctuary and a larger sound mixing board was added. Little did the church know that a remarkable journey was about to unfold. Roger Turner, Bryant Barnes, Neil Blanchard, Michael Wright, Reginald Owens and a few other volunteers, handled the duties for the Sound System team from week to week. Not surprising, with limited equipment and experience, there were mishaps along the way. Sometimes there were microphones not on when someone was speaking or singing, maybe the tape recorder was paused and forgotten to restart or of course there was the occasional squeal feedback from the microphones but the team experimented, learned and improved. The sound team greatly enhanced the worship experience by making the music and sermon clearly heard.
For many years this was primarily what this group of dedicated volunteers did for worship services, concerts, funerals, and other occasions. Events changed in a significant way when Pastor Joseph Grider was assigned to Longview. The Communications Department , which was responsible for writing articles and sending photos to various publications about Longview, and the sound team were merged. Chosen to lead this newly formed Longview Media Department was a vibrant young lady named Michelle A. Jones, who envisioned a way to bring the church into the 21st century. Michelle, who was once the photographer at her high school, had a passion for the job. Among the first changes was buying a CD recorder and shifting from cassette tapes to CDs. This made it easier to duplicate the church services as well as move the media to the digital age. As the Media team expanded, so did their capabilities. It was thought to begin a church newsletter. This would give the various ministries an opportunity to announce upcoming events and to highlight activities.
A contest was held to see what the new publication would be named. Of all people, Donna Owens won the $25.00 prize for submitting the name The View. Darlene Morris led out in producing engaging content, from thought provoking articles to heartwarming testimonies for the newsletter. Alicia Jenkins Johnson was a meticulous proof reader who made sure that everything was not only grammatically correct but that the content resonated with the readers. With the media team operating efficiently, Michelle turned her efforts to another major task. Social media was becoming more significant and she thought that it could become an avenue to share God’s message of love to a wider community. With her own video camera and equipment, she had already been video recording church services, concerts and special events. These were posted on various social media platforms and Longview began to develop a following online. A media consultant was asked to submit a bid for cameras, screens, monitors, new sound systems, lighting, and streaming equipment. Unfortunately, at that time, the church did not have the finances or foresight to take such a leap of faith. This was going to be expensive.
Social media was still relatively new and there was reluctance to heavily invest in what might just be a passing fad. With the exception of the large mega-churches, very few other churches were putting their ministries online. Actually, most churches, including Longview, at that time didn’t even have functioning websites. Little did the church know that the internet and social media was about to literally take over the world.
Undeterred, Michelle continued to video the services and made sure that Longview’s online presence was maintained. Longview was the first Seventh Day Adventist church in the Memphis area to live stream worship services and musical events. Although she only served in the capacity of leading the Media Team for one year, her service was invaluable in strengthening the team for the future. The following media team leader, Gwen Watkins, kept the team running well and focused.
When Walter Stewart was selected to lead this department, things took a dramatic and significant turn. Have an online presence was now seen as a vital way to extend the ministry beyond the physical walls. The church bought a camera, projectors and screens, computers and worship media software. Now not only could the church service be enhanced with scriptures and words on the screen to those in the pews but those online could also have a meaningful experience.
The church and the media department suffered an unexpected tragedy when Walter Stewart passed away after a short illness. Darlene Morris was asked to serve as the leader and she continued to not only carry on the work but expanded it to new levels. From week to week the team of Darlene, Audra Owens, Moneca Tiger, Tanya Elliott, and Michael Kirkwood excelled at presenting the announcements, quickly finding scriptures and using illustrations to complement the sermon. Darlene also took on the colossal task of redesigning the church website. She made sure that the website was easy to navigate and that the content was engaging. Her proficiency and skill were a tremendous blessing to the church. The church's online presence grew, attracting not just local members but also curious souls from around the world. The next leader of the Media Department was Michael Kirkwood. Under his leadership, the media department continued to do outstanding work.
Suddenly, an unanticipated calamity struck the world that was completely incomprehensible. The COVID-19 pandemic, which began in late 2019, had far-reaching effects on various aspects of life globally. Places of business, schools, and even churches were abruptly closed. Because no one was allowed to assemble, how could the church continue to worship? Michael Kirkwood was up to the task. He videoed the pastor’s sermons, received videos from the elders and members, collected previous recorded music videos and edited the content into an online worship experience. This was done each week for almost two years while the Covid-19 pandemic lasted. His dedication and skills allowed Longview to still connect with its members and with a larger community while many other churches struggled.
The leadership was then passed to a team of skilled and energetic young people. Denzel Copeland and Zachary Boyd were chosen to carry on the mission. During the worship service you’ll find a flurry of activity in the booth with Mya Towsell and Noah Boyd on the computers working on the screen lyrics and announcements. Jalen Brown is usually running the cameras. Zachary Boyd handles the live sound in the sanctuary and the online broadcast. A.J. Barksdale helps the team wherever he is needed. Denzel Copeland takes care of the live stream and manages the whole operation. Michael ‘Scrappy’ Boyd helps when he is in town but is the Zoom Meeting coordinator who controls the meetings. Reginald Owens assists the media team also. Herbert Brown often serves as stage manager, who makes sure that the program participants are in place and have microphones. The church recently invested in new equipment. So now armed with Mac computers, iPads, new microphones and updated software, the media team continues to produce content that allows those unable to attend physically to connect with the church community and to attract those interested from all over the world.
The View, the church monthly newsletter, is still delivering compelling and appealing content. Darlene Morris, the editor, makes sure the daily devotion from Pastor Horton is edited and uploaded. She also makes sure that the design and layout is always correct. Darlene believes that the newsletter is more than just a bulletin; it is a way to weave the threads of the community together, to share news, celebrate milestones, and foster a sense of belonging among the church members. Moriah Brown contributes pertinent material and ensures that part of the newsletter is shared on various social media platforms. The crew of reporters gathers information from various ministries in the church. With cameras in hand, Dr. Charlie Folsom and Mark Townsell provide awesome photos faithfully.
In time, the Longview Media Dept. has become a vital and necessary ministry to share the gospel of Jesus Christ to the world. Far from their humble beginnings in a dusty, cluttered closet, the media team has reached hearts and souls far beyond their wildest dreams.
Longview Heights Seventh-day Adventist Church
Email: theview685@gmail.com
Website: https://longviewheightstn.adventistchurch.org/
Location: 685 East Mallory Avenue, Memphis, TN, USA
Phone: 901-774-5431