The Anglican Church in Australia has fully embraced the far-reaching and interactive possibilities of the Internet by appointing its first-ever online evangelist.David Horne (pictured), a graduate of Moore Theological College in Sydney, will take up the appointment on 1 January 2007.
Mr. Home’s role will link with the Anglican Church’s existing web site, christianity.net.au.
For two days a week, he, along with 35 students from Moore College, will 'man' the site and provide curious online users with question-and- answer sessions.
"The internet is one medium that can and should be used for evangelism," he said recently.
"It allows you to broadcast the gospel and then easily enter into follow-up interaction. It also ailows you to make good personal contact with people that are geographically displaced from you without any risk."
Mr. Horne plans to establish a regular, interactive Bible study.
"The aim is to make web evangelism more interactive," he says. "I want to develop a model for doing this."
Mark Hadley, manager of the church’s multimedia department, told The Sydney Morning Herald that the appointment reflected both a change in the model of church and the role of the Internet.
"In 10 years’ time how people relate to each other is going to be massively affected by the internet.
"We are going to be more online than ever so it makes sense that the Anglican Church should begin to shift itself. The church is not interested in becoming an anachronism. Every generation has the responsibility of trying to work out how to communicate a timeless message. The move comes in the shadow of the Archbishop of Sydney, Peter Jensen’s ‘mission’ to bring more Australians to the gospel.
The Anglican Church has big plans for the project, with talks underway to expand the team to include workers and students from other denominations and theological colleges.
Mr. Horne, too, believes the Internet remains a still largely untapped resource when it comes to spreading the word.
"For me, this is an opportunity to explore the possibilities of communicating the message of the Bible to those people who may or may not meet face to face.
"In order for someone to hear about Christianity they have to buy a hook, talk to a Christian friend or go to church and identity themselves as someone who is interested, and that can be a big barrier for some people.
"The Internet allows them to quietly and anonymously inquire about Jesus."
Mr. Horne says the internet should never take the place of going to church, but adds that its potential to evangelize is limitless.
"Although it has taken some time to come to fruition, I am terribly excited by this initiative," he says.
"It’s been over a decade since we started thinking and praying about Internet ministry. We have a real sense that God is behind this initiative.
Reprinted with permission from The Salvation Army War Cry, Australia