Evangelical TV

In "Understanding Evangelical Media", Kathy Bruner speaks about “tribal TV”, which is evangelical TV. Although some in the Christian faith are drawn to this pleasantly packaged faith, I find it lacking much substance. For all that Bruner brings out in her essay, I think the biggest and most important point is that Evangelical TV is directed at people who are already saved. Unfortunately, it is the common point of view in human nature to think that what is true for me is true for you. In reality, this is not true. Different types of people are reached in different ways. If there was a formula for faith, surely we would have found it already. I find that in evangelical TV there is little incentive to be creative about the way one shows God because they are preaching to the choir. Bruner points out that there are significant constraints on creativity because of this. If people are paying to see what they want to see, you have no choice but to give it to them or you lose their “generous contributions”.
In effect, this means that the people out there that do not believe what evangelicals do or do not know the bible as they do lose out on hearing the gospel. Many times, the programs assume that the viewers already know about the birth, life and death of Jesus when for some this has never really been explained. I have found that people I know who do not have faith often have never had the basic principles of Christianity explained to them. I feel that if evangelical TV were to reach nonbelievers in the secular world, it needs to change its aim from “preaching to” to “preaching about”. In this I mean that they need to tell the world who Jesus is, what He has done for them and then how to change their lives.
Another huge issue with evangelical TV is its financial hypocrisy. Televangelists look to their viewers to provide backing for their shows and sometimes, this leads to some hidden corruption. In 2007, Sen. Chuck Grassley sought financial information from evangelical TV ministries like Randy and Paula White, Benny Hinn, Joyce Meyer Ministries and Kenneth Copeland Ministries for “alleged lavish spending” says the Washington Post. The questionable fund raising paints evangelicals in a poor light, showing the hypocrisy of some of those who call themselves Christians. The people who stand on stage, professing that they are servants of God drive home at night in Lamborghinis while the audience sits in their trailers eating Ramen Noodle. These typically white, high school educated people give to televangelists because they think they are doing the right thing. However, where this money goes is often unaccounted for.
Overall, evangelical TV may have had its heart in the right place in the beginning, but as I see it today, there is a great deal of problems with it. The financial, ethical and realistic properties seem to bend towards a medium that simply isn’t working.