By Mark Finley
The figures are staggering. The task seems overwhelming. The mission before us appears to all human thinking—impossible. The world’s population is approximately eight billion and growing. Currently, there are over a billion people in China and India. The continent of Africa has just topped the one billion mark. Of the eight billion plus people on the face of the planet, only approximately 30% or 2.2 billion are Christian, and Seventh-day Adventists are just a small fraction of the total. There are 1.6 billion Muslims, 1.1 billion secular agnostics and atheists, 1 billion Hindus, and 500 million Buddhists, plus thousands of other religious groups.
This leads us to some thought-provoking questions. How will the work of God on earth ever be finished? Is it possible for the gospel in the context of the three angels’ messages to circle the globe in a relatively short time? When will we see the fulfillment of Jesus’s words, “And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in all the world as a witness to all nations and then the end shall come” (Matthew 24:14)?
NEW METHODS FOR A NEW GENERATION
Digital technology has made the seemingly impossible much more possible. The Internet is accessible in almost every country. Once again God has united the world. Through the internet, the message of Christ knows no boundaries. The gospel spans oceans, leaps across national borders, penetrates unentered countries, and reaches earth’s millions in gigantic apartment complexes as well as primitive villages. “Digital evangelism is the systematic and intentional use of internet platforms to spread the gospel to the online population. The goal is to introduce people to Christ and then connect them to a church family. You may see the terms digital evangelism and online evangelism being used interchangeably. Both cover various evangelism strategies that require the use of the internet, cell phones, laptops, video cameras, and other modern technologies” (Every Thing You Need to Know about Online Evangelism, sdadata.org).
“New methods must be introduced. God’s people must awake to the necessities of the time in which they are living. God has men whom He will call into His service—men who will not carry forward the work in the lifeless way in which it has been carried forward in the past.” —Ellen G. White, Review and Herald, Sept. 30, 1902
Recently I realized anew the amazing impact of digital evangelism. I conducted an evangelistic series in Kenya uplinked by Hope Channel to 20,000 sites via satellite. The programs were broadcast on YouTube, Facebook, radio, and television. The messages were streamed to churches, apartments, private homes, business establishments, bus stops, prisons, and outdoor venues in villages. People watched on large screens, televisions, computers, iPads, and cell phones. We received an interesting message from three shepherds in a very remote area with scattered villages. They viewed the programs on their solar-powered iPhones in the evening while they tended their cattle. These bushmen accepted Christ and desired to become His disciples as the result of the message of the gospel they heard on their cell phones. In contrast to these bushmen, well-educated young professionals, employees of the largest bank in Kenya, watched the Christ-centered biblical messages beamed from one of our Nairobi Adventist churches directly into their bank in the evenings. The East Central African Division reports that there were 197,000 baptisms as a result of this massive evangelistic outreach. They attribute over 100,000 of these baptisms to our digital evangelism satellite series.
On another occasion, I shared messages from the book of Revelation from my office at the Living Hope School of Evangelism in Haymarket, Virginia, via a Chinese translator to Chinese people worldwide. Ten million Chinese-speaking people downloaded our messages. Our prime digital communication platform is YouTube. Our prime digital platform is our YouTube Channel Hope Lives 365. We have 247,000 subscribers and have reached nearly 30 million people in every country where YouTube is not banned. Christ’s end-time message can be rapidly spread around the world in seconds. God has made it possible that through the power of the Holy Spirit, the Savior’s promise “And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in all the world and then the end shall come” will be fulfilled (Matthew 24:14). The “earth will be lightened with God’s glory” (Revelation 18:1) and the gospel will be proclaimed to every “nation, kindred, tongue, and people” (Revelation 14:6).
I am convinced that the Holy Spirit is using digital technology powerfully as one way of making disciples. The possibilities are enormous. “The landscape of evangelism has undergone a significant transformation in recent years, propelled by rapid technological advancements and the widespread adoption of digital platforms. As society becomes increasingly connected and reliant on the digital realm, ministries and pastors must adapt their approach to sharing the gospel” (“Embracing Digital Evangelism,” preaching.com).
If we want to reach a global audience and penetrate previously unreached peoples, global technology provides a powerful platform to accomplish God’s mission. By embracing digital platforms for evangelism we recognize the profound impact they can have on reaching a global audience. “By harnessing the power of technology, we can overcome physical limitations and barriers, amplify the impact of the gospel message, and build online communities that foster genuine relationships and spiritual growth. It is time to embrace digital evangelism and discover new avenues for sharing the timeless message of hope and salvation” (ibid). Digital evangelism beams the message into people’s homes wherever they are, in whatever country they are in, in the context of their own language and culture. It is not limited by a specific time frame. They can access Bible truth twenty-four hours a day seven days a week. Pastors and local congregations can have a local presence with a global reach as they establish an online audience. Let me be clear, digital discipleship and evangelism do not replace the traditional evangelistic methods that the Christian church has used for two thousand years.
Ellen White encourages us to use every means possible to reach lost people with the gospel. She urges us to “reach the people where they are.” Here is an enlightening statement on creatively developing new methods of reaching people.
“Digital media and AI do not take the place of personal relationships. They are the doorway to more meaningful relationships. They enlarge the circle of your influence from a very few to tens of thousands.”
“New methods must be introduced. God’s people must awaken to the necessities of the time in which they are living. God has men whom He will call into His service—men who will not carry forward the work in the lifeless way in which it has been carried forward in the past” (Review and Herald, Sept. 30, 1902). Online evangelism plays a crucial role in sharing the gospel and connecting with people in the digital age. It is a superhighway of communication. It provides unique opportunities for discipleship and evangelism. Never in human history could we share the gospel with so many people in so short a time.
THE POSSIBILITIES AND CHALLENGES OF ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE
Artificial Intelligence (AI) has provided new opportunities for pastoral ministry and evangelistic outreach. Information can be gathered and evaluated quickly. Research on complex topics is at our fingertips. Sermons, books, and articles can be translated into multiple languages almost instantaneously. AI can even write our sermons and preach them via an avatar. Currently, I am preparing a new series on the prophecies of Daniel, and we are preparing some amazing, up-to-date graphics using AI. Our Hope Lives 365 media team also uses AI to illustrate my Sabbath sermons with outstanding results. AI can be a remarkable asset in the church’s ministry, yet there are some significant challenges and dangers.
UNDERSTANDING THE DANGERS AND OVERCOMING CHALLENGES
For some, AI can become a quick fix to sermon preparation rather than the thoughtful, prayerful study of God’s Word. There are also ethical concerns of using AI to produce material and then claiming originality. Transparency here is vital. One of the major challenges that I see with AI and all digital technology is the potential for substituting technology for the moving of the Spirit and personal relationships. It is possible to spend hours in digital ministry and neglect personal relationships. One can become enamored with the potential viewing audience and focus on programming rather than people. Digital media and AI do not take the place of personal relationships. They are the doorway to more meaningful relationships. They enlarge the circle of your influence MISSION POSSIBLE from a very few to tens of thousands.
It is also possible to focus on what is trending on social media rather than faithfulness to biblical truth. God has not called us to be trendsetters, He has called us to be proclaimers of the eternal gospel to prepare people for eternity. Digital media is a tool to reach millions, not an end in itself. It is a channel for discipleship. God has not called us to be relevant, He has called us to be effective.
To be effective in a social media ministry it is of paramount importance to begin with the end in mind. The goal is reaching people with the unchangeable, inspired, truths of God’s Word. The goal is not contemporary programming, it is effective discipleship and evangelism. The ultimate question is not how many people viewed a program but how many have become disciples of Christ through the digital ministry. Unless the regular viewers who are subscribers to our YouTube channels are transformed by the grace of God and become followers of Christ, we accomplish little. It’s not the number of Facebook friends that really counts, it is the number of friends we make for Jesus. Our X social media account (Twitter) may reach thousands, but unless it touches one life for the gospel, it is making little real difference.
A NEW VISION BRINGS NEW POSSIBILITIES
I am intrigued with the following statement by Ellen White: “The truth will be made so prominent that he who runs may read. Means will be devised to reach hearts. Some of the methods used in this work will be different from the methods used in the work in the past; but let no one, because of this, block the way by criticism” (Review and Herald, Sept. 30, 1902). Certainly the use of digital technology to “make disciples” and evangelize the world is a “different” method from those used in the past. I am convinced that through a wide variety of online methodologies, the truth will be made “prominent.” Digital technology provides seeking people surfing the internet an opportunity to discover relevant Christ-centered messages of biblical truth that meet their innermost needs. In the privacy of their homes, they can remain anonymous as they search for deeper meaning and purpose in their life. If the church fails to occupy the digital space and provide answers to these seekers, the space will be filled with godless content focused on dialectic materialism and secular values. For many people, the internet is no more than a pond of pleasure and a cesspool of vice. There is no doubt that the uncertainty of our times has produced a seeking generation looking for answers to the basic questions of life.
A SEEKING GENERATION
People everywhere are asking, “What is really going on in our world?” Deep within the fabric of their beings they sense that ours is a world in deep trouble—a world consumed with poverty, famine, and war. A world writhing in sickness, disease, and sorrow. Rising from our troubled planet like an incense of doom are the cries of millions of people, “What does the future hold? Are we a forgotten cinder out on the edge of a forgotten galaxy—a world that doesn’t matter?
Secularism, materialism, and the pursuit of pleasure have let them down. Their hearts are empty. There is a deep longing within for something to satisfy the deepest needs of the soul. The disciples of Christ had a purpose to live for and something to die for. Their lives were caught up in the all-consuming mission of leading people to become disciples of Christ. The proclamation of the gospel was their passion. They recognized that the deepest need of the human heart is to know Christ. When their passion is our passion, we, too, will be consumed with reaching lost people. Our desire will be to use every method possible to make disciples for Christ.
MISSION POSSIBLE
Mission impossible is now mission possible. God has allowed some of the greatest minds of this generation to develop technology for the communication of His Word locally and globally. Through His divine providence, the “fulness of time has come” to proclaim His last-day message of eternal truth in every means possible. The opportunity is ours to embrace. The moment is ours to seize. The digital door is open for us to enter. By the grace of God let us grasp the significance of the possibilities before us.
Mark Finley is a Seventh-day Adventist evangelist who now serves as assistant to the world church president.