— By Chesley Oxendine

Times Correspondent

Pastor Todd Turner said “Old Fashioned Sunday” presented a “whole different style” for his sermons.

Turner said he typically used multimedia, such as videos and PowerPoint presentations, to communicate his messages.

On Sunday, however, the preacher used no electronics at all — not even the musicians used microphones or amplifiers.

Trinity Family Worship Church went back to its roots with “Old Fashioned Sunday” last weekend.

Music director Terrell White led the choir, which used only the room's natural acoustics for songs like “Amazing Grace.”

“We're slowing things down a bit,” Turner said. “Sometimes we need to turn off the noise so we can hear God.”

Men showed up in overalls and cowboy hats, while women wore pastel dresses and bonnets.

Even the children got involved, opening the service with several songs and a penny march.

Pentecostal Church District Overseer Clyde Hess was present as well.

He sang and played an acoustic guitar, which he said “was my way of being old fashioned.”

“I learned to play the guitar at 10, but the piano at 13,” Hess said. “I normally play that, so I haven't played guitar in a very long time.”

His wife Shirley Hess said she remembers seeing the same fashions in church as a child.

“I used to see these dresses on older ladies when I was a kid and think, 'What's the deal?'” she said. “But God is still God, no matter the generation.”

Congregation member Doug Gilleland said people's attire and participation marked a devotion to their church.

“They love this place and they love their pastor,” said Gilleland. “It feels good to see.”

Turner's service discussed “the old days, when everything was black and white,” he said.

“Back then, there was right and there was wrong,” said Turner, pacing back and forth across the stage. “There was God and the Devil, Heaven and Hell.”

The pastor said modern society “blurred too many lines,” and had no strict definition of sin.

“I kick it old school,” he said. “If you have to ask me if it's a sin, you're likely already guilty of it.”

After the sermon, the congregation migrated to the cafeteria for dinner.

Everything from lasagna to fried chicken was on hand.

Todd Turner's wife Mariana, who wore a brown dress and bonnet, said she purchased her clothes from Ebay.

“Some people went to Goodwill, or raided their grandparents' closets,” she said. “I bought my things online.”

Turner said she actually found the dress “more comfortable” than her average Sunday best.

“It felt different, more down to earth and spiritual,” she said. “I could wear this every time I come to church.”

Cutting out electronics meant a more “natural” service, she said.

“It's real easy to get used to watching the words on the screen,” she said, “instead of picking up your Bible and reading it yourself. We get real dependent on that.”

Her husband said this year's “Old Fashioned Sunday” would hopefully happen again.

“It's a way to stop long enough to reevaluate ourselves,” Todd said. “It's something we might do annually.”