Internet Apologist?
It is easy to suggest things, but not follow through with actions. So that is what I am going to do! I suggest that the Church establish a ministry to people who surf the Internet.
The person would be paid a salary and have board oversight and be required to surf the Internet 8 hours a day, focusing especially on forums, chat rooms, and blogs, and be a solid Christian voice there. He / she would not be a columnist but rather an evangelist. The goal would be to carry on conversations with people who talk online and to point them to the living water of Jesus Christ (John 4). As far as I know, this is not currently being done (correct me if I am wrong).
BENEFITS
People are turning to the Internet for answers. Because it is a protected environment, where people do not know each other really, where people cannot be rejected face-to-face, it is the place to go for seekers concerned about life and its meaning. Just scan the blogs on blogger.com or the thousands of myspace.com accounts and you will see clearly that the Internet is the new community of seekers, doubters, and loners who want friends (maybe?).
To have an Internet apologist / evangelist would be to provide a solid Christian voice to people at the place where they seem to be looking most for answers.
PROBLEMS
One objection to putting finances into this type of thing would be that many Christians already do Internet ministry. There are plenty of websites where non-believers, doubters, and seekers can go to read or hear audio messages about the truth of Christianity. Why should we pay someone to do it? Well, good objection! However, the position of Internet apologist would be unique. It would not be a central Christian website (though it might involve that kind of thing as a home base). Rather it would be a person being proactive in bringing the Gospel message to other websites, blogs, etc. It would be an outreach as opposed to a sitting-still kind of website. I mean, you can have an article available called, "Proofs for God's existence," and you might even get some hits, but it is unlikely that most seekers are going to end up there. Remember Jesus sends us to others (Matt. 28:19-20).
Another problem would be that when we think of evangelism, face-to-face meetings seems to be the best method. True enough. Certainly, personal contact is the best, simply because a physical connection is made when you look people in the eye. But, the Internet evangelist would be playing an important role in the process since so many people are going to the Internet to fill the void of loneliness they feel in their lives. In a broken, fragmented, postmodern age, where the individual reigns supreme, people are left to look inward on themselves. When they grow bored with that, they reach out. However, many people do not want to risk actual personal face-to-face relationships, often out of fear of rejection. So the Internet has become a place of pseudo-community. It is not the best place for relationships and Christians should not be interested in living our lives separate from each other, only to speak through our monitors. However, since that is the place people are going, looking for answers and opening up their lives, then it makes sense that we need pastors there! This is a unique people group with unique needs.
Another problem: If the people are converted to Christ, they will almost certainly not go to a church local to the Internet apologist or to a church that supports the Internet apologist. They will go to a church local to them, which could be anywhere. This means there will be little visible fruit. It might be hard to support a ministry where that is the reality. But again, what is our interest in doing this ministry? Is it to fill up our own little quivers for the purpose of showing off to others how successful we are, or is it to bring the Kingdom of God to bear upon the Earth. Those who support this ministry would have to understand that the investment is worldwide, and the fruit is real, even if it is not local. Of course, this ministry will never and could never replace local ministry and local churches. It would be an evangelistic ministry design to see people converted to Christ and supporting a local church where they live. It would, in a very real sense, make the world a better place.
Well, I am posting this idea as nothing more than an idea. Again, it is easy to lay out a theory, but difficult indeed to follow through with it. I also have to admit that I would not want to be the Internet apologist. Looking at a screen 8 hours a day would send me to the asylum! But perhaps God has laid this kind of ministry idea on someone else who might be called for just such a time as this. Whaddaya think?
The person would be paid a salary and have board oversight and be required to surf the Internet 8 hours a day, focusing especially on forums, chat rooms, and blogs, and be a solid Christian voice there. He / she would not be a columnist but rather an evangelist. The goal would be to carry on conversations with people who talk online and to point them to the living water of Jesus Christ (John 4). As far as I know, this is not currently being done (correct me if I am wrong).
BENEFITS
People are turning to the Internet for answers. Because it is a protected environment, where people do not know each other really, where people cannot be rejected face-to-face, it is the place to go for seekers concerned about life and its meaning. Just scan the blogs on blogger.com or the thousands of myspace.com accounts and you will see clearly that the Internet is the new community of seekers, doubters, and loners who want friends (maybe?).
To have an Internet apologist / evangelist would be to provide a solid Christian voice to people at the place where they seem to be looking most for answers.
PROBLEMS
One objection to putting finances into this type of thing would be that many Christians already do Internet ministry. There are plenty of websites where non-believers, doubters, and seekers can go to read or hear audio messages about the truth of Christianity. Why should we pay someone to do it? Well, good objection! However, the position of Internet apologist would be unique. It would not be a central Christian website (though it might involve that kind of thing as a home base). Rather it would be a person being proactive in bringing the Gospel message to other websites, blogs, etc. It would be an outreach as opposed to a sitting-still kind of website. I mean, you can have an article available called, "Proofs for God's existence," and you might even get some hits, but it is unlikely that most seekers are going to end up there. Remember Jesus sends us to others (Matt. 28:19-20).
Another problem would be that when we think of evangelism, face-to-face meetings seems to be the best method. True enough. Certainly, personal contact is the best, simply because a physical connection is made when you look people in the eye. But, the Internet evangelist would be playing an important role in the process since so many people are going to the Internet to fill the void of loneliness they feel in their lives. In a broken, fragmented, postmodern age, where the individual reigns supreme, people are left to look inward on themselves. When they grow bored with that, they reach out. However, many people do not want to risk actual personal face-to-face relationships, often out of fear of rejection. So the Internet has become a place of pseudo-community. It is not the best place for relationships and Christians should not be interested in living our lives separate from each other, only to speak through our monitors. However, since that is the place people are going, looking for answers and opening up their lives, then it makes sense that we need pastors there! This is a unique people group with unique needs.
Another problem: If the people are converted to Christ, they will almost certainly not go to a church local to the Internet apologist or to a church that supports the Internet apologist. They will go to a church local to them, which could be anywhere. This means there will be little visible fruit. It might be hard to support a ministry where that is the reality. But again, what is our interest in doing this ministry? Is it to fill up our own little quivers for the purpose of showing off to others how successful we are, or is it to bring the Kingdom of God to bear upon the Earth. Those who support this ministry would have to understand that the investment is worldwide, and the fruit is real, even if it is not local. Of course, this ministry will never and could never replace local ministry and local churches. It would be an evangelistic ministry design to see people converted to Christ and supporting a local church where they live. It would, in a very real sense, make the world a better place.
Well, I am posting this idea as nothing more than an idea. Again, it is easy to lay out a theory, but difficult indeed to follow through with it. I also have to admit that I would not want to be the Internet apologist. Looking at a screen 8 hours a day would send me to the asylum! But perhaps God has laid this kind of ministry idea on someone else who might be called for just such a time as this. Whaddaya think?
4 Comments:
Jason if this is a job post, where do I send a resume?
-Jonah
Jonah, not a job post...:) Probably, you are among many who would like it. Interestingly, this person would have to be a good fund raiser and be able to put together a board of directors.
Or as another model, a local church could fund a ministry like this and support the person as a missionary. They would be on staff. Of course the church would have to be truly missions minded, since the fruit would be largely invisible to the local congregation.
I think that this is an excellent idea, and I really hope that it can become a reality. Personally, I would share your dislike of staring at a computer screen for 8 hours at a time, but as I have become more involved with the online world, it has been my serious intention to be light for Christ here. I want to learn how I can do so more effectively
I like the idea of internet apologetics. In Acts it says that Paul reasoned in the marketplace in Athens, which I think would be very similar to the internet today.
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