European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - February 4, 1978, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Congregational feedback no fan tar ref Boeft ill answers of congregation Are totalled and flashed on to d by Kenneth Riggs new York times 0 you believe god has a Mission for you said the question on the printed in each of the 16 members of the first congregational Church adjusted a dial on a Little Black Box set before him on a table in the Church they completed the task by punch ing a red Button and waited for an instant summary of the findings to lash on a television ninety four or 15 said and 6 per one said the exercise was one that is becoming common to the members of the stately downtown the oldest congregation in founded in since the Church has been Experiment ing after the sunday Santee with a similar to the electronic devices used on television game that allows the pastor to get feedback on is it also tests congregants on such subject As their belief in a literal Belt and their adherence to a born again style the results have shown Little support for either a real hell or bom again Faith but Broad diversity on other during the pos service the congregants sip eat pastries and wander into in adjoining room where the with its 16 terminals joined to the con sole by electronic is some members Ore bemused by this conjunction of religion and techno others look upon it As their forebears might have gazed on the towns first motor in technical the device is an  system that contains a relatively Small memory Blank and a simple though it has been something of a curiosity item and a like Many it has a deeper believed to be the first such use of a computer by a local it is Wen by the the Gnu As a Means of opening conversation among members of the staid new England a gregarious  who says he was initially baffled by the reserved character of new eng land believes the device is a significant Factor in restoring vitality to a Church like other intercity had slumped for years prior to his arrival six years on his first Day As Campbell recalled receiving a visit from the neighbourhood funeral director who had said glumly about the this place is deader than since then the minister has introduced Many new including a program for rela cd prison a Carpenter used by neighbors to make such things As household hems and and a weekly radio pro Bach innovation has been the subject of some but in the process the congregation has been stirred the next phase is what Campbell Calls building a Christian Community is to shape the Church As a religious research Center where ideas Are he saw a demonstration of the computer system recently and decided it could help by allowing people to express opinion with though members record their opinions the results Spur participants often say they Are surprised to see what others think and How they fit into the Campbell says the system has encouraged people to More free about talking to me about religious one Man reported having his first discussion with his son about the existence of hell after the computer find Back disclosed that their views another woman said she discovered that her feelings of Jinx Tyty toward her daughter were similar to the experiences of other among the findings so far 90 percent of one Sample group said in was not necessary to be born none held to a View of the Bible As and a solid majority believed god was helping solutions la  tar it p o 5 it h of n 5 i it n the Rev Gene Jakubek giving locker room counsel to Kent secular As any other but sceptics have pointed to Light of a Clergyman leading the pregame huddle we Assumption was that the team was asking god for a wary sometimes the Assumption was few athletes would anymore to praying to but increasingly sports Are becoming an Arena bribe winning of As political figures and decreased in athletic figures said Pat Williams neral manager of he Philadelphia a sports exec wive who engages in religious Liere Are limes to verbalize your and there times to live athletes have a Chance u do to some the Rise in the number of athletes wit Nessing their Faith reflects the growth of Hie coach at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue is witnessing so is the coach of the Dallas clergymen Are increasing Touchy about being consid ered Goodluck charms and want to be accepted As trained father a was asked to take the Sunsak tried chaplains Post by James Fitzge owner of the because of the priests popular self help television program seen in the i always Wear my Tatlier Jakubek but i am not seeking i am Here to give the players somebody to talk weve got a Young most of the players Are unmarried some of them Are when Kent was 1 was around to help a few others talk to me though relatively few professional athletes most notably Muhammad All and Kareem Abdul Jabbar have adopted All has played a role in acquainting much of the world with by jewish players in professional sports lend not to talk about Faith my religion does not believe in says Ken Holtzman of the my record shows i have never pitched on a jewish i enjoy observing on the Road when in is but 1 consider religion a very private Lyo Lestal and Catholic athletes have brought their re Ligion to the teams if Only for major league baseball supports Chapel programs in sunday run by Watson a re tired sports Wriler from Detroit who says he was led to Christ from a hard drinking life by Bill u preacher who once played football Lor the Detroit Lions and the Cleveland the Chapel services Are credited in part with convert ing Fritz the former Yankee Pitcher who fell in love with the wife of a teammate and later married i always cursed says but i found myself going to Chapel when i was traded to Cleve but i dont think i was really converted until i was traded to and i met Danny who was dying of leukaemia and could transmit his peace in Christ the professional football teams have similar services on sunday morning usually at the since this is game religion among football players seems to have grown in the last one of the reasons is the Hev Tom a former gang Leader from now a Baptist minister and chaplain for the Washington i do a preacher in the prophetic Skinner i try to Tell a player what the world ii really his popularity will cease the Day he walks out of the so Many Guys gut everything for few cars they feel god is for the i try to Tell them god is for i preach that the real Victory is the person you become under Jesus stars and stripes Page is