by Daniel True
KingsWay Christian Ministries has had a presence on the Internet (possessed a WEB site and using e-mail) for over 14 years (1995). In those early days there were limited people and businesses using the Internet (known back then as the World Wide Web). In the 1980’s at the Kennedy Space Center we (and any government or educational facility) used the predecessor – Arpanet, but only for messaging and file transfers. Most know the history of the Internet (NO, Al Gore did NOT invent it!), so I will not go there today.
However, NO one could have predicted how huge and quickly the “Net” would grow! In 1995 there were 13 other churches and ministries in the State of Florida and now they number in the thousands, just in Florida alone! There are over 110 million people around the world who have access to the internet – oops, it went up another 1,000 in the last few seconds!
I have some respondents who live in African villages; they walk into town and use the PC that is available at the library to send e-mail, or appear visually and with voice, on Skype! One person last night said he didn’t have the headset (someone else was using the only one they have access to). It is the same around the world; people (in over 190 countries) do have access to the Internet.
Our WEB site, a small ministry in East Central Florida, generates a visitor-base averaging +75 people daily, from virtually all over the world. Here are the “world visit” statistics for the first 21 days of October (2009). These are the top 28 nations (out of 90) from which visits emanated:
Do you know where Seychelles is? Actually, it is composed of a group of islands off the east coast of Africa in the Indian Ocean, near Somalia, where ships have been high-jacked recently. It is an independent (formerly British) republic with ~84,000 population. It is 170 sq. mi. in size. 60% of the people there have Internet in their homes. 25 of their people have visited our WEB site so far this month!
We also gather statistics as to what pages people are visiting but invariably they are mostly the diverse articles (postings) that we have on the site, and the story about Tracie. As of this date, we have released 35 posts since revamping our site as a blog in March (2009) (have YOU read them all?? – the latest 15 can be found under Tracie’s picture and the lastest 28 under “News Feed”, at the top). And, during that time we have had 5,725 visitors!
In addition, I have had phone calls and even people driving to my house (the phone and address shown on the WEB site) to find out about our “church services” (of course, we don’t have services or a congregation since we aren’t a “Church”!).
Why am I giving you all this logistical stuff? Well, it is to point out that the Church (of Jesus Christ) can reach out around the world, even from a very small ministry in an equally small un-incorporated community. We don’t have to send out missionaries – the “hungry” people, seeking accuracy in this chaotic world, come to us! They walk out of the “bush” and find a computer where they can search out the truth. That’s why we try to keep posting interesting reports and studies that attract and provide “feeding” for God’s people.
We have had four “guest” writers since March (with another submission in the works); our platform is open to others who would like to impart their time, anointing and talent in presenting those things on their mind, heart, and spirit .
The offer has been made previously, but if you have an interesting study or item that you feel would bring enlightenment to God’s people, I would encourage you to e-mail it to me. You will never know who may need the “answer” you may provide through your posting!
If you are not sure that the Internet is a viable, Christian method to reach out to the world, keep in mind that all the around-the-world, instant news and live broadcasts that we are so accustomed to seeing daily on TV was Christian developed! In the mid-1970’s , in Charlotte, NC, PTL “Network”, responding to a vision by its founder, Jim Bakker, set into motion the FIRST, live, interactive, worldwide Christian programming from four different satellite locations around the globe. I was there the day when they “threw the switch”; the world was brought closer together, and the arms of the Gospel embraced the whole Earth!
About this same (mid-1970′s) time frame, Andrews Corporation, manufacturer of all sorts of commercial antennas and dishes, had a full page ad in Broadcast Engineering magazine that showed an (Andrews!) 10-meter dish in deepest, darkest Africa with a TV set at the base of it, powered by photocells and batteries. The whole native village was sitting around the TV set. Displayed on the set was the PTL logo! The caption was “Andrews Antennas Go Around The World”!
In spite of the things that Bakker confessed to and which led to the demise of PTL, much good was done there.
God gives us tools and skills to win the world to Christ; it is up to us to pick up those tools and further His “cause” by using them. Will you join with me by either being a contributor of your writing/teaching skills or perhaps a tax-deductible financial gift to keep this work going?
“Love isn’t love until it is given away.” Jesus is ours, but we also need to share Him with others as well!
