PLANS TO MAXIMISE USE OF NEW DIGITAL PLATFORMS ARE UNVEILED BY THE PRAYER BOOK SOCIETY
The continuity and longevity of the 1662 Book of Common Prayer – originally compiled by Archbishop Thomas Cranmer and still used by churches across the country – is assured, thanks to plans unveiled this week by the Prayer Book Society (PBS) to maximise the use of new digital platforms.
A far cry from Cranmer’s quill, the new PBS approach will make greater use of the rapidly expanding world of digital communications.
‘The PBS, which encourages rediscovery and use of the majesty and spiritual depth of the Book of Common Prayer (BCP) at the heart of the Church of England’s worship, has pledged to promote the Prayer Book in new and creative ways,’ explains the society’s chairman Bradley Smith.
The society – established in 1972 during the heyday of liturgical reform in the Church of England when the BCP was in danger of being outlawed – plans to mark its fiftieth anniversary next year by launching a range of new ways to access and use the Prayer Book through a wide variety of digital media.
Says Bradley: ‘Our pledge to move with times has prompted us to reassess the way we interact and communicate with one another, so work to fulfil our mission in the twenty-first century will involve wider use of modern digital platforms.
‘They will include personal computers, smartphones and the worldwide web. Our strategy includes live streaming on the internet of BCP liturgies and PBS conferences from churches across the UK and the wider world.’
Alongside this plan the PBS is embarking on a programme to overhaul the image and presentation of the society, maximising the opportunities presented by new emerging media alongside its traditional channels of communication.
