Crew members are the driving force behind 35 years of broadcasting from Trinity Lutheran Church, Reading, Pa. In the control room are Matthew Althouse (left), Daniel Graf, Jacob Himes and Erik Potteiger (par- tially hidden). Betty Leuffen (above) has operated “Camera 1” for more than 30 years.
MATTHEW MELLEN
the congregation made it happen. After finding used equipment, Elton Richards, then
pastor of Trinity, formed a group in 1976 to assess the fea- sibility of TV broadcasting. They deliberated three years, Opalinski said. The broadcast started on local cable, now Comcast 21,
live at Reading Hospital. Since starting the streaming video launch, Matt Mel-
len, Trinity’s TV media director for 19 years, said there have been 5,000 visitors. But it’s not just the Sunday worship service:
www.oldtrinitytv.org also offers a wor- ship service for the deaf, Bible study, music programs, monthly First Friday programs from Muhlenberg Col- lege in Allentown, Pa., and ministry programs provided by Diakon Lutheran Social Ministries. “Going video was a huge step,” Mellen said. “We initially had radio broadcasting for many years,
so that paved the way,” Opalinski said, calling 35 years “a significant milestone.”
Fast forward Today, in the church’s high-tech broadcast control room, Mellen, along with a 15-member volunteer staff and two part-time editors, broadcasts digitally 13 hours each week (in half-hour and full-hour versions). Next door to the control room is a TV studio where Mellen and others interview various experts who offer ways to improve life through acts of service. First Friday lectures from Muhlenberg College
address interfaith issues, ecologi- cal concerns and Middle Eastern politics. Recently, J. Christopher Lovats-Bernat, associate pro- fessor of anthropology, offered “Reflections on Haiti.” The station also featured New York City artist Ellen Frank, whose nonprofit arts foundation and her exhibit “Cities of Peace” promote history, culture, peace and reli- gious education. Steeple News, another studio production, offers programs on children, fair-trade products and Lutheran Advocacy in Pennsyl- vania. DVDs of this program are available in the synod. Mellen highlights both the TV
ministry’s global outreach and the local volunteers. “It’s about sharing our worship with com-
munities, and now sharing it with the world,” he said. “Volunteers have really driven this ministry.” Betty Leuffen, a member since 1971, operates one of the four cameras in the church. “It’s a way to give back to the church,” she said. Originally her wish for her two boys to attend church came true when Trinity’s media program drew them in. “That was a big drawing card for them,” she said. “So I got involved first.” Her sons Michael (now deceased) and Steven volun-
teered for years. Steven handed the torch to his daughter, Aubrey, 15, a seven-year camera operator who also assists at weddings. As a result of her training at church, she now videos her school’s basketball team. Trinity’s members are highly creative, Opalinski said.
“A lot of people in music and the arts have helped shape the character of the congregation, which supports this ministry to proclaim the gospel beyond these walls. They are visionaries. ... It’s not about Trinity. We don’t solicit funds or new members. We are thrilled to see it branching out and how we can be a service beyond ourselves,” he said. “It’s a look into our church home, mistakes and all. No preaching to the camera; no staging. No TV evangelist style.
“I think that what is so neat is that Old Trinity Church was established in 1751, and an annex built in 1791. It was the mother church of 12 other congregations, some- what the old lady. So from this very old congregation, we have this innovation. A great juxtaposition. But then, our church has always embraced modernity.” M
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