The Impact of Mass Media (TV) on Church Life A Case Study of Jesus is Alive Ministries, Nairobi

Abstract

A trend observable, especially in the urban churches of Kenya, is their use of varied media (media mix) with a wide reach to cover the ever- swelling populace. This research looked at modern media forms such as TV and the religious implications of using them. The researcher's purpose was to investigate the impact of such media on church life. On the basis of these findings the research considered how best to utilize media for the urban church. The case study integrated both quantitative and qualitative approaches. The research used self-administered questionnaires to 200 purposively selected JIAM members. Data was also collected using participant observations, focus group discussions comprising ushers and evangelism teams and in-depth interviews with the pastoral and media personnel. The quantitative data obtained from the questionnaire were coded, edited and keyed into the Statistical Packaging Social Science (SPSS) analysis software to perform data analysis of the results from the questionnaires and yielded frequency distribution and percentages for each answer. The key findings of the study showed that the significance use of mass media lies in media's publicity and supportive roles. The capacity of media to influence is somewhat coupled with its inherent ability to reach large numbers of people (86.8%). However, the human agency (the church) and media expertise (professionals) are needed to enhance media's effectiveness as defined by their assessed impact on the life of the church. For example, the church should ensure that rigorous follow-up mechanisms are in place to help retain the numbers and improve spiritual quality of those people reached via the media