CHICAGO (ELCA) -- The Web site of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) logged more than 94,000 "hits" Aug. 19 during the 1999 ELCA Churchwide Assembly, a record number for one day, said Dr. Paul D. Edison-Swift, director for resource information and networks, ELCA Department for Communication. The assembly approved "full communion" agreements with The Episcopal Church and Moravian Church in America Aug. 19 in Denver.
The daily average number of Web site hits during the assembly was 45,000, more than four times the daily accesses during the 1997 assembly in Philadelphia. This August, the site averaged 7,000 to 16,000 hits per day, Edison-Swift said.
The number of people who use the Web site is measured as visits. In July the ELCA Web site had 116,000 visits; in August there were 166,000, he said.
"The Web expands the audience," Edison-Swift said, adding that information is at the convenience of the person visiting the site.
Live audio "streams" were a first for the ELCA churchwide assembly.
The initial contract was for 100 audio streams, the capacity for 100 simultaneous listeners, but demand was so high that an additional 100 streams were added. All 200 lines were in use during the debate on full communion with the Episcopal Church, said Edison-Swift.
This year's assembly was also the first to have live photos of the assembly, updated every 15 seconds, Edison-Swift said.
Voting members at the assembly used the Web site to prepare for the event as well as interpret results after the assembly.
The ELCA's Web guest book has been "overflowing" with positive feedback about the Web coverage of the assembly, said Edison-Swift.
"The Web site for the 1999 assembly was well planned and easy to use. I felt like I was there," said Krystal McGaw, Bethania Evangelical Lutheran Church, Solvang, Calif.
"The site was a blessing to our church. Those who could not attend were kept informed in a way that is unprecedented," said the Rev. P. Wes Poole, Lutheran Church of the Good Shepherd, Seminole, Fla.
Edison-Swift said more visitors from other denominations may be a possible reason for the increased visits to the ELCA site.
"It was a thrill to view and hear the floor debate live via the Internet," said Holly Hansen, The Cathedral Church of St. Paul, Springfield, Ill. "To see the representatives of my beloved church and yours singing together was such a treat," she said. Hansen is an Episcopalian.
The ELCA Web address is www.elca.org.
Web-casting of the assembly was made possible through a grant from Lutheran Brotherhood, a fraternal benefits organization based in Minneapolis.
For information contact:
John Brooks, Director (773) 380-2958 or NEWS@ELCA.ORG
http://listserv.elca.org/archives/elcanews.html
- - -
About the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America:
The ELCA is one of the largest Christian denominations in the United States, with 2.8 million members in more than 8,500 worshiping communities across the 50 states and in the Caribbean region. Known as the church of "God's work. Our hands.," the ELCA emphasizes the saving grace of God through faith in Jesus Christ, unity among Christians and service in the world. The ELCA's roots are in the writings of the German church reformer Martin Luther.
For information contact:
Candice Hill Buchbinder
Public Relations Manager
Candice.HillBuchbinder@ELCA.org
