Internet evangelism gives new ways to share gospel in ‘closed’ countries
Now anyone can be a missionary, including people who can’t afford to travel, and those who are disabled. Through the Internet, people can lend advice, share the gospel and conduct Bible studies almost everywhere.
Evangelism is now just a click away/Credit: Christian (CLUC)/sxc.hu
Internet evangelism, made popular by organizations such as Global Media Outreach has reached an all time high.
This was discussed at Internet Evangelism Day recently.
Walt Wilson, CEO and founder of GMO said by 2015 Wi-Fi will be everywhere on Earth, and by 2020 everyone on Earth may be reached through the gospel.
“We are the first generation in all of human history to hold within our hands the technology to reach every man, woman and child on the earth by 2020,” Wilson said at an iSummit at Biola University.
“Our generation has within its grasp everything that is required to fulfill the Great Commission,” Wilson, a former Apple executive, said to The Christian Post.
GMO is the media arm of Campus Crusade for Christ. They have more than 100 websites through which anyone in the world can connect with online missionaries who will answer their questions. GMO has more than 4,000 online missionary volunteers who answer e-mails from people.
Still, some like Rev. Tom Schaeffer, pastor of Threshold Church in Toledo, expressed reservations, noting that Internet evangelism does not lead to real-world interaction and community.
Dietrich echoed Schaeffer’s concerns, saying “You cannot visit someone in the hospital. You cannot bring them a covered dish if they are sick. You can’t lay hands on them physically. So there are things certainly that the on-the-ground church does that you can no way do online,” toledoBlade.com reported.
“We really try to offer multiple options for someone once they made a decision to help them grow, whether that is chat Bible studies, self-service online Bible studies, or working through materials with the person they are talking to,” toledoBlade quoted Diedrich as saying.
Diedrich sees online evangelism as a complement, not a replacement of traditional church programs and services. Still, “More people use the Internet than go to church. New thinking is required for outreach in the post-Christian age.”
Some 1.8 billion people are on the Internet daily, of which 2 million search for spiritual needs, statistics show.