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Animatronic band takes guesswork out of worship
..."I thought I'd miss the human element, but these machines are so real," says Douglas Wilson, 62. "And I appreciate the consistency."

The shift happened last fall when the church's worship leader resigned. Pastor Ted Lindey had trouble finding a replacement. Then he heard about Animatronics Group, a company out of New Zealand which creates animatronic shows for theme parks. For the price of three years' salary for a flesh-and-blood worship leader, Lindey realized he could get a system that lasted ten years or more and offered almost limitless worship possibilities.

"Real worship leaders have a warmth, but they can be also moody and flaky," says Lindey. "It's tough to find one that matches your church."

He had the system installed in November. The people were astonished, even annoyed at first. Then they began to bond with the animatrons. Many now say they've reached new heights of worship with the pre-programmed band....

..."Animatronics has come a long way since Disneyland's Abe Lincoln," says one attendee after morning worship. "The band works so well, we're thinking of getting an animatronic pastor."