Baptist and Reflector
University Parkway Baptist Church has been hosting ‘drive-in’ church for the past five years. The recent COVID-19 pandemic has generated the need for many other churches in the country to hold similar services.
JOHNSON CITY — Scott Thompson, associate/executive pastor of University Parkway Baptist Church, Johnson City, helped the church establish a “drive-in church” five years ago.
Here is how they did it in his words.
“We ordered a small, low power, FM transmitter kit and antenna. This type of transmitter is used for schools, churches, farmers, etc. In our area we are not required to have an FCC license to operate. The range of this type of transmitter is less than half a mile.
“Broadcasting your service can be very simple. The first thing you need to determine is where your drive-in church will be located. This will determine your antenna location as well as your sound setup.
“If your pastor will be outside, will you be able to run a microphone cable to the pastor or do you have a strong enough wireless microphone? What type of music will you be using — live music, recorded music or no music at all? Simply take an output signal from your sound board and insert to the line-in on the transmitter. You will need to monitor the mixed sound and the level of the signal, also called modulation.
“Because we were able to use the sound equipment that our church already had, the cost was very minimal. We spent less than $250 to start this ministry. You will probably need an external antenna to boost your signal reach. We purchased a Ramsey FM 30 transmitter at a cost of $189. These are the same transmitters used by many drive-in movie theaters.”
— For additional information, contact Thompson at svthompson03@gmail.com or visit the University Parkway Baptist Church, Johnson City, Facebook page for a downloadable information page on how to start a drive-in church.
