James Summers strongly encourages others to serve in church tech arts, including his daughters. Summers, recently recognized as "Church Production Hero of the Month," is technical director at Strong Tower Christian Church in Frederick, Maryland.
Visit Ross Video, sponsor of the Church Production Hero of the Month
“I’m a techie at heart,” says volunteer technical director James Summers of Strong Tower Christian Church in Frederick, Maryland.
Summers is the first Church Production Hero of the Month, a special designation bestowed upon him in a new 2021 program from Church Production Magazine and Ross Video. “It’s a way to recognize the men and women who consistently go above and beyond in their selfless service to the church and to spreading the Word of God while working in a technical or production capacity,” says Brian Blackmore, editor of Church Production Magazine.
James Summers, Technical Director, Strong Tower Christian Church, Frederick, Maryland
Jeremy Bagwell in business development – worship production at Ross, adds, “There is nothing like hearing a story of dedication and commitment to the craft of church production. Many times, we in the church tech/production world assume that it’s all about ‘church staff.’ But as you can see from James’ story, if our local churches didn’t have volunteers we would not have church.”
Who’s Your Church Production Hero?
There’s probably someone on your team who consistently goes above and beyond the call of duty. Nominate them here.
For Summers’ nomination, Pastor and Music Director Angela Gerald at Strong Tower Christian Church described the technical director like this: “James is a get-it-done type of guy with a spirit to serve and a great attitude,” she wrote. “He often says ‘it takes a team,’ and he has always been a team player.”
Summers got his start in tech and cultivated his love for teamwork, and ultimately mentorship, when he was just a kid growing up in California. “My dad introduced me to Ohms law, AC/DC power, multimeter, oscilloscopes, and car repair, just to name a few,” he says, also noting the influence of aunts, uncles, middle school teachers, neighbors, and Silicon Valley, in general.
By the time Summers hit his college years, he was serving as a volunteer tech at Glad Tidings Church of God in Hayward, California. During this time he also gained experience working at Sacramento’s KOVR TV, channel 13. “I’d get to sit in the control room and watch how the news shows ran, which prepared me to support the faith-based public-access TV shows produced by a co-op of AV techs that served in various local churches,” he says.
One of those shows, Praise Time, featured local and national gospel recording artists. “I served in many roles … floor director, graphics, lighting, camera operation, mixing audio, video board operator, and video director,” he says, adding, “The experience prepared me to a point where I could run the whole ‘show.’ I was fortunate to be around such focused and humble people in ministry.”
Always involved in church tech arts, Summers brought along experience he gained as technical operations manager for the 49ers football organization.
Eventually, Summers’ experience brought him to land a job as technical operations manager for the 49ers football organization. “That stadium [Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara] is a community center,” he states of his time there. “It’s more than just about games.”
He witnessed a multitude of fundraisers and community events held out of the stadium, and remembers one in particular that’s dear to his heart: “We hosted over 30,000 students through the science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) program there, in an opportunity that opened kids’ eyes to the world of science and physics.”
He adds, “We touched so many people in that stadium and at that football field, winning on the field and even off when the scoreboard did not agree.”
After three years working with the 49ers, Summers and his wife made a decision to move from the West Coast to the East, where they joined their current church, Strong Tower Christian Church in Frederick. Immediately, he stepped up as a volunteer to help in the tech department.
Summers’ Church Production Hero nominator, Gerald, says his service there is a blessing to the small Maryland church. “He is a hero to us. He knows he is loved and we are beyond blessed that God sent their family to join ours.”
Gerald also singles out Summers’ dedication and decisive action when the pandemic hit. “We didn’t miss a beat because of his expertise and willingness to serve and connect the dots,” she says of the man who’s known in the church as their troubleshooter.
“We wanted to make sure our streaming had a strong infrastructure and would allow for remote contributors.”
James Summers, Technical Director, Strong Tower Christian Church
Jeremy Bagwell, Business Development – Worship Production, Ross Video, Hero of the Month Sponsor
“Before COVID we were streaming,” Summers describes. But after it hit, “Our pastor doesn’t let the moss gather under his feet—he quickly went to Sling Studio,” the portable, wireless multicamera broadcasting platform. “We were only streaming to Facebook to start out,” he notes, because the option was convenient, free, and easy to share with viewers.
His team soon expanded its efforts, though. “We wanted to make sure our streaming had a strong infrastructure and would allow for remote contributors.” So they added in a video conferencing client and a paid content delivery network, Boxcast. “We bought into Boxcast for our streaming because then we could stream to so many platforms, including our church website, with a more reliable experience,” he says.
Through thick and thin—pre-COVID, during, and now—Summers holds fast to a steady vision for his work in technical ministry at Strong Tower Christian Church. “It’s an awesome opportunity and responsibility to lead a ministry,” the tech director states. “It’s a chance to love on people and make them feel part of something.” Adding, “When I came along, there were just three people supporting the ministry, and now there’s middle schoolers to college-age students and my daughters, who have always helped me in tech ministry,” noting that his now 16-year-old got her first experiences in the tech booth when he’d bring her along in an infant carrier.
“How do I treat my fellow techs when errors happen? I can show somebody the love of Christ in how I respond in positive and teachable moments."
James Summers, Technical Director, Strong Tower Christian Church
“I’ve taught my daughters to run video mixers and how to lead the team,” he says. His wife, too, has been involved in production at the church in a content creation capacity, writing plays and other productions which he then produces.
Being a long-time church tech and serving as a volunteer, Summers says it’s critical to give his all to the church and still find the right home-life balance with his family.
“You can’t take care of everything else but home,” he states. “I put as much energy there as I do in the church.”
Summers also believes it’s important for a church tech to carry what he or she learns in ministry to the wider world outside the walls of the church. “How do I treat my fellow techs when errors happen? I can show somebody the love of Christ in how I respond in positive and teachable moments. How you treat people carries over to your Christian walk.”
He adds, “What drives me in the ministry of tech is ultimately the Word. It’s the main thing—to bring people to Jesus Christ. The team and I work to create an environment that reduces distraction and creates a setting where people are free to worship inside the church and out, so they can focus on hearing the Word of God and come to faith.”
Visit Ross Video, sponsor of the Church Production Hero of the Month
