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Megatrend 5:
Rise of 56 megaministries with 54 million computers
by Justin D. Long
It's a quickly rising situation, but that's all right: they're used to them. A news article has just flung itself across the Internet: a massive earthquake has struck southern Kazakhstan, near the border of Uzbekistan. Part of one city has been virtually levelled with hundreds of thousands affected. Lucy's team has a "sniffer dog" trained to find people in wreckage; she's scheduled on the next plane out. A flurry of e-mail messages from her alerts the rest of her network, and they in turn use e-mail to alert several "rapid response" health teams, to inquire for medical supplies from non-profit charity Health Teams International, and a call for additional disaster relief teams from Samaritan's Purse and International Health Services Foundation. Several hours later Lucy and her dog, Nosey, touch down and take a smaller chopper to the quake site. On the way, her portable computer links to an Internet provider via a cellular phone; a "burst mode" downloads her e-mail. Among 26 messages are three of significant import: teams from Doctors Without Borders and the Red Cross are already on the ground but eagerly waiting for her "sniffer" team, and Operation Blessing has announced the rerouting of their hospital plane to the quake area. The third contains a satellite image of the affected area, transferred to her via contacts in the US government. When the helicopter touches down she already knows the names of the people waiting for her and the places worst affected.
In 1988, something like 42 million computers were owned and/or operated by Christians (individuals, churches or agencies). The vast majority (96%) were used as standalone systems—in offices, or to serve and entertain the individuals or families who owned them as personal or home computers. Only 4% took part in any "network" activity.
At that time, there were 56 global "meganetworks," including the Orthodox (0.7 million computers), Roman Catholic (15.2m), Anglican (4.9m), Protestant (16.4m), Third-world indigenous (0.7m), Old/Reformed Catholic (0.3m), Evangelical (12.3m), Pentecostal/Charismatic (9.6m), Ecumenical (9.3m), plus the quasi-Christian networks: marginal Christian (1.4m), Mormon (1.9m) and Jehovah Witnesses (1.1m).
The vast majority of these networks, for a variety of reasons, had no interest in cooperating or sharing resources with any of the others—though the benefits are obvious. Now, that has begun to change. The advent of e-mail began this change from the ground up. Just 25 years ago in 1970, this form of networking was inconceivable to the lay Christian. Who would have thought, then, that it would be possible for 1,100 people to receive a weekly essay on trends in missions and to discuss it amongst themselves? Yet this is simple today: and not only do 1,100 presently receive it, but 40 million could if they wanted to. What would happen if electronic mail were lost? We would lose the immediacy of contact with missionaries, the cutting edge benefit of communication and information, and the ability to challenge millions of Christians worldwide with the very real presence of the unevangelized. The loss would be worse, in many ways, than the loss of a telephone. The benefits of increasing the services offered via this network are priceless to World A, as people are deciding to minister to the unevangelized on the basis of something they saw on the Internet.
Now, as people at the grass roots utilize the power of e-mail and the Internet to offer more and more services to each other, megaministries can see the value and are beginning to offer similar services. This will be of great benefit to missions as a whole.
YWAM Videoconferencing. A recent article in YWAM's Press Digest tells us they are launching a new "videoconferencing" system which will enable teachers to participate in DTS training in remote sites without having to travel there. Using this technology, a teacher—say, in London—can participate in DTS or other training sessions with groups in Germany and Nigeria, or in Australia and Kazakhstan, or any other combination. This will literally allow teachers to be in three places at once, live, participating with all the classes.
Medical knowledgebases. I am waiting and watching for medical charities to begin putting "knowledgebases" online live via the Internet and the world wide web, enabling doctors in remote areas to search and diagnose unfamiliar cases. Already there is talk of putting veideoconferencing technology to work to allow a doctor in the United States to walk a doctor in subsaharan Africa through a procedure.
Opportunity databases. There are several of these coming online. Fingertip is one; the editor's own "OpNet" is another, and there are other lists out there as well. The point of an "opportunity database" is to enable the lay Christian to dial into a web site and search for opportunities to serve in some capacity in a particular region of the world.
Mission case studies. Another type of database that will be useful, and which someone will eventually provide, is a library of historical case studies and biographies. Are you looking for the "how-to" of contextualization in China? Are you interested in what's been done in the area of well-digging? Searching for a good mission testimony for an upcoming conference? This type of database will provide these answers.
Fundraising network. This is another sort of service which would be welcomed in the Christian community. This could range from a simple database of "giving needs" to a full-fledged network that would enable fundraising specialists to help missionaries write fundraising letters, finetune their approach, and hunt out grants.
This networking continues to challenge Christians to minister to World A, and provides missionaries presently serving in World A with cutting-edge knowledge, training, and communications with their support base.
As we continue to add to the store of information now available to missionaries and potential recruits, we improve our ability to train, equip, and prepare them for better service in World A.
Every agency should strive to provide information--either via a mailing list, a forum, or a world wide web site--that serves to keep their constituency aware of the world of missions, or helps missionaries with needed data, or provides some service to the world of missions. We cannot afford to avoid linking arms with others in sharing information and communication, or we run the risk of walking blind into crises, or holding from others critical information which could help see the job done.
STEPS TO TAKE