Worldwide Internet Evangelism Day to Respond to High-Tech World

A Worldwide Internet Evangelism Day (IED) has been arranged for 24th April 2005. The event, arranged by an evangelistic group of ministries, churches and individuals, was proposed with the belief that the day will greatly increase awareness of what is happening online. It is hope that the potential of using the internet to spread the gospel can be fulfilled more efficiently by this day.

The day is being endorsed by the Internet Evangelism Coalition, and its members have expressed their desires to help facilitate the development of IED resources.

Dr Sterling Huston, who is the Chair of the IEC and also Director of Special Ministries for the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association, told how Internet Evangelism Day could potentially "inspire many more Christians to utilise this dynamic media to extend and enlarge their witness for Christ."

Huston continued and emphasised further how the internet "offers churches, Christian organisations and individuals an amazing and rapidly expanding opportunity to share the ‘Good News’ of the gospel with a world in need."

Mr Tony Whittaker, has lead the development of a web site entirely devoted to the promotion of the Worldwide Internet Evangelism Day.

Rev. Ted Haggard said incredible technological breakthroughs mean that "evangelical Christians must take advantage of this information superhighway. Internet Evangelism Day will help focus our efforts on effectively using this tool."

Haggard also encouraged "all evangelical leaders to take advantage of this initiative and explore their options for using the web to win as many as possible to Christ."

Churches and ministries can take part in the IED by making use of the event web site, which includes downloadable video clips, drama sketches, a PowerPoint presentation and stories of people who have come to a personal relationship with Jesus Christ through online ministry.

Many well-known individuals and organisations have given their full backing to the initiative. The International Director of the Lausanne Committee for World Evangelisation, Dr Tetsunao Yamamori has said that he believes the day will enable online outreach to be advanced and is an innovative response to today’s hi-tech world. He said, "It is possible to evangelise one billion people through this medium."

The President and founder of Evangelism Explosion International said that he hopes "every E(vangelism) E(xplosion) church would be involved in the Internet Evangelism Day."

In addition those endorsing the day include the Evangelical Alliance UK and Youth With a Mission among many other organisations.

The website can now be seen by clicking www.InternetEvangelismDay.com