Lausanne World Pulse – WORLD EVANGELISM & MISSIONS REPORTS – The Internet Evangelism Coalition and Online Evangelism
By Sterling Huston
The Internet is the fastest growing media form in the history of the world. Ten years ago there were only a few million users worldwide, mostly in developed Western nations; today, more than one billion people access the World Wide Web. Although it is estimated that the United States leads with nearly two hundred million people currently online, the greatest online growth has been in Asia where China has one hundred million users and Japan has seventy-eight million users. The Chinese language is fast becoming a dominant language online.
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The purpose of IEC is to stimulate |
When the Internet first became popular in the public arena a decade ago, Christian ministries immediately took note. Individuals, churches, denominations and ministries recognized the potential of the web and created numerous Christian websites. Many of these sites, however, served only as electronic brochures to communicate information to the ministry’s constituency.
But as the Internet matured, so did its use. Christians began to develop websites solely to share Jesus Christ with non-believers. The terms “seeker sensitive site,” “online evangelism” and “Internet evangelism” became more common as groups recognized the extraordinary opportunity to share the gospel of Christ on the web.
These early pioneers who had caught a vision for the use of the web for ministry were often relatively unknown, underfunded and often unappreciated by the larger Christian Church. This led many to feel as though they were the only ones doing Internet evangelism. Many faced ongoing issues of discouragement, lack of financial and technical resources and limited ways to share materials with those coming to Christ online.
History of the IEC
Recognizing the need for communication and collaboration among the early Internet users, the Billy Graham Center (Wheaton, Illinois, USA) hosted a consultation in 1997 on using the Internet for evangelism. More than one hundred participants from churches, denominations and ministries came together. At the close of the meeting attendees, sensing that their work had only begun, voted to establish the Internet Evangelism Facilitation Committee to help facilitate online collaborative evangelism. This committee, representing a broad cross-section of the Christian Church, immediately set out to establish major goals in the areas of communication, evangelism resources, seeker sites, training and Christian growth materials available through the web.
Two years after the original consultation, an international conference was convened to focus on networking, equipping and mobilizing those involved and interested in Internet evangelism. Out of that conference came a permanent organization now known as the Internet Evangelism Coalition (IEC). Recognizing it would take time for the organization to become self-sustaining, the committee asked the Billy Graham Center to host its administration and provide 501(c)(3) status for contributions to the organization.
About the IEC
The stated purpose of the IEC is to stimulate and accelerate web evangelism within the worldwide body of Christ. Part of its mission is to encourage collaborative efforts and to connect partners and resources for more extensive and effective Internet evangelism.
Since its official forming in 1999, the IEC and its members have hosted additional international conferences to further collaborate and network with ministries using the Internet for evangelism.
The IEC has also enhanced communication by producing a monthly e-newsletter and establishing a website which identifies resources created through IEC efforts. The monthly newsletter, available through the IEC website, shares relevant information about the web and web evangelism.