BACK
Within the next ten years several emerging technologies will have become common tools and appliances in business and leisure. Four or five computer generations will have passed by, bringing along faster and more powerful machines that have shrunk in size but multiplied in interactivity and effectiveness. Satellite telephones make it easy to communicate from all over the world. Video conferences have become a convenient (but maybe still expensive) way to facilitate important meetings across continents. Intelligent agents will help us to keep pace with the workload and perform some routine tasks both on the Internet as well as in the office and at home.
Most of the new technologies we see ten or even fifteen years ahead are
emerging in the laboratories and «think thanks» today. Some
technologies born in the laboratories might not even make it to the market,
others may prove to be a flop. Just a few new inventions may finally become
an everyday tool, like the old refrigerator, microwave or TV.
Nothing of this will happen just overnight. On the contrary, there is a lot of work that needs to be done. Thousands and thousands of miles will be covered with cables (fiber optic, that is), new ways of transmitting data faster and faster in compressed form will come on the market. The demand for more transmission capacity (bandwidth) will explode among businesses and high-end neighborhoods. There will be many problems, overloads and some slowdowns, because several key components must get in place and play together for everything to work. Governmental initiatives and regulations might both speed up or slow down the market forces.
On a national level, many politicians have embraced the new «information
society.» During the last years a shift has taken place away from
central governmental monopolies and regulations to increased cooperation
between commercial enterprises and governmental institutions. Still, the
plans and visions need to be funded and implemented into a society and a
market which do not necessarily voice a great demand for all the new technologies.
The Internet has given Christian churches and ministries a brand new opportunity
to communicate the gospel in a new, worldwide society. Distance in time
and physical space is not a major obstacle anymore. Communication happens
via e-mail, Web pages on the Net with text or graphics with hyperlinks,
animation, audio and video. Internet Relay Chat and Net telephone will enable
people to interact directly in real time no matter where on the globe one
is connected to the Net.
The Internet has developed a very strong sense of communality within the multiple «tribes» like discussion forums, e-mail lists, MUDs, etc. Still, the Net is a frontier culture where common values are constantly challenged. It manifests itself as a postmodern phenomenon with a fluid mix of values and ideals. However, the various practices of peoples beliefs, values and ideals do also constitute a certain reality. As O'Leary writes, «... I believe we can say that these cyber-rituals do have efficacy, that they do perform a function of restructuring and reintegrating the minds and emotions of their participants.» 1
More than 12,000 physical and virtual churches are present on the Net. After
having conducted two surveys of (1) selected virtual and some physical churches
from different denominations, and (2) selected Lutheran churches worldwide
on the Net one cannot but be amazed over the many differences between the
two groups.
The virtual churches (included the selected «real» churches
as well) have mostly been active on the Internet since 1995 and have already
a well-developed Internet ministry. Not so with the Lutheran churches. About
85 percent joined the Net in 1996 or early this year. The Lutheran churches
have rather small Web sites. As many as 30 percent have less then five pages
and a total of ca. 90 percent have less than 25 pages.
The Lutheran Web sites are also very small regarding the number of visitors,
and many Internet sites had not installed a «counter» to keep
records of the number of hits. As many as 40 percent did not have any estimates,
and about 50 percent reported that they only have had less than 1,000 hits
since they started. Several «older» virtual churches had between
10,000 - 50,000 hits, and three churches more than 100,000 hits.
Conservative estimates based on the collected data from the 18 virtual (and real) churches show that they get between 6,500 - 10,000 hits and 500 - 700 actual responses per month. The Lutheran churches report that about 57 percent had only received less than five responses via e-mail or in the guest book last month. Also other questions show that there is not much interaction between the Lutheran Church Web sites and the visitors.
Also when it comes to the «spiritual» side of the Internet ministry
the differences are clearly visible. About 78 percent of the Lutheran churches
had not had any prayer requests, and those who received requests for prayers
had only got a few during the last month. According to the other survey,
eight of the other virtual churches etc. did receive more than 300 prayer
requests per month.
The major reason for all these differences may be a result of a very diverse
vision and focus for the Web ministries. The Lutheran churches report that
the major purposes for their Web sites are to
(1) inform the local community,
(2) invite people to join the church and
(3) to serve needs for internal communication.
Only after that they list a desire to present the gospel to the visitors on their Web site. Generally, the Lutheran Web sites functions very limited in the same way as a newspaper advertisement and a «billboard» to keep people informed about some key church activities.
The virtual and other churches had a very different focus for their ministry. Their major vision is to present the gospel. Secondly, they wish to give visitors an opportunity to communicate about faith and life, personal struggles, to have an opportunity for counseling, etc. Thirdly, education on various spiritual issues is important.
The first survey among selected virtual churches etc., exemplifies a very
different attitude to Christian ministries on the Internet than the majority
of Lutheran churches.
Firstly, the focus is the visitor (the audience),
the person, and his or her needs, and not the church (the sender), and what
it needs to inform whatever person that may be surfing by the Web site.
Secondly, the spiritual issues are in focus, not «church
business» or activities. Much creativity is invested into presenting
the gospel and above all, interacts with the visitor. Many churches with
volunteer Webmasters have very high quality Internet ministries that influence
the lives of several hundreds or thousands of people on the Net. The small
survey among the virtual (and other) churches documented that 44,5 percent
of them positively affirmed that their ministry had contributed in leading
one or more persons to Christ. Many Lutheran church Web sites seem to be
much more concentrated on «pushing» their agenda then being
open to invite people into a dialogue and get to know the person.
Thirdly, most of the
virtual and other churches in the first survey are much more aware of the
global nature of the Internet and the profound opportunities it provides
for human interaction in an emotional setting, being always curious and
open in a (mostly) friendly atmosphere to meet and interact with all kinds
of people from all over the world. The Lutheran churches are dominantly
focused to promote themselves and their church to a relatively narrow, local
audience.
Fourthly, among the «virtual» churches there are an eagerness
and openness to explore new tools and medias to encourage the visitors to
interact with the «Web church.» 17 out of 18 participants in
the survey either already had or planned to implement audio tools on their
Web site. Also, video, search engines and IRC are becoming popular. The
contrasts to the Lutheran church Web sites are clear, with little enthusiasm
to use new tools like audio (only ca. 33 percent), search engine, IRC and
video. By promoting new technologies the Web sites are active in the «Web
market» and attracts curious and interested people to try out new
things.
In summary, there seems to be very different basic approaches
and attitudes between the two groups covered in the two surveys. These differences
seem to give important clues to understand why some Internet churches and
ministries succeed and others do not. Even more so when one consider that
there are some basic similarities between the two groups: They are both
using very limited financial resources to develop and maintain their Web
site and they are mostly alone in their volunteer work, using their free
time to do this ministry.
In this rapidly changing world the universal church has a common commitment, to fulfill the Great Commission from the Lord Jesus Christ. Christian organizations are also active in implementing and using new technologies, as shown in the «case study» from Mission Aviation Fellowship. Given the urgency of the task, mission agencies must be ready to use advanced new technologies to reach further out with the gospel. However, not at any price, nor by setting aside fundamental ethical principles. The rapid development of new technologies, as well as ongoing research on «artificial intelligence», «affective computing,» and «artificial consciousness» raises very important ethical and theological issues that urgently deserve serious consideration from theologians.
The changing shape of the world caused by new technologies will ultimately
also force mission agencies to reconsider their structures and methods.
New tools for interactive communication will shape new patterns of human
interaction. Yet, in the midst of a cultural climate of constant transition
the goal remains the same, to proclaim Christ until He comes back in glory.
Endnote:
1 O'Leary, "Cyberspace as Sacred Space", 804.