South Yorkshire Times January 21, 1967

Services enter a New Era at Swinton

Services at Swinton Congregational Church enter a new era on Sunday when newly installed audio equipment will be used for illustration and better presentation. Public address equipment has been coupled to a record player (soon to be followed by a tape recording) and it is intended eventually to utilise pre-recorded background sound atmosphere during sermons.
Preparation

The Rev JW Bentham, Congregational Church Minister, told us, “At the start of each service hymns will be played on the record player to prepare people of worship and there will be followed by music on the new electronic organ. We believe we are the first church in this district to use records regularly – others may use them, but not often.”

“Later, we have the equipment working full, we shall introduce tape recordings into the circuit and so will be able to illustrate the sermon. If, for example, I’m talking about a crowd, we shall be able to play a pre-recorded crowd sound.”

Complete Reorganisation

The move to electronic equipment follows a complete reorganisation of worship at the church. Mr Bentham said, “We found that Sunday school attendances were dropping off considerably, so we decided to introduce family worship. Instead of the children be nicer to be a now and family services where they and their parents can worship together. Sunday afternoons who has been abandoned, and we have altered timing a little. We also have introduced a crèche department, for children under Primary school age.