"Digital technology will dominate the future, and if the people are there, we want the Word of God to be there," Ed Stetzer told this year's Amsterdam 2023 gathering. Stetzer spelled out the enormous opportunity digital evangelism affords Christians today.
"Digital is a tool to reach unreached people groups in hostile locations, where unreached people find community. Some of the most impactful people are online – we see in this the call to the digital frontier. We're on the cusp of something that will rewrite our world. Jesus wants his people riding that wave to tell the good news of the gospel."
However, he said, many of our digital evangelism and discipleship strategies are as outdated as dial-up internet. Often, digital engagement is limited to pushing out content rather than actually reaching people.
There are three ways to address this, he said.
When it comes to mission, we need digital to move from peripheral to integral.
We also need to innovate and consider new ways of understanding how people come to a point of decision about faith, and how they then move forward.
"If the totality of our digital engagement is 'click here if you want to follow Jesus' we have failed in what it means to engage in evangelism as a process," he said. Lastly, we need to move from organisation-led mission to priesthood-led mission. "Digital evangelism is too often confined to a few leaders.
"Take the next step of helping the church to recognise the power of digital spaces and to use tools that will inspire, mobilise and equip.
"If much of the world is rushing to engage in conversation there, why would we not want to be in that space?"
God at work: digital evangelism around the world
In a panel discussion at Amsterdam 2023, Ed Stetzer called on leaders to share how they are seeing God at work in the digital sphere.
Tracy Dahdouh
Digital outreach strategist, New Heights, Lebanon
Tracy works in the Middle East in the field of digital ministry.
"I'm inspired by this vision that we could reach every person on earth with the Word of God. But coming from and serving in a Middle Eastern context, this vision and this fulfilment of the Great Commission always seemed like an unreachable dream.
"We are serving in a region where in many countries, it is against the law to talk about Christianity, where spreading the gospel is dangerous. It's a place where Islamic ideology is deeply intertwined in politics, society, education and every way of life. All these governmental, societal and religious restrictions make on-the-ground evangelism and traditional means of outreach extremely challenging.
"Today, however, God is doing incredible things in the digital space in the Arab region. Digital ministry has bypassed all the restrictions we had and has given us a new way to do evangelism.
"We create digital programmes that share scriptural messages with people who are searching online. These are messages designed specifically for their own culture and background.
"We then give them an opportunity to connect with a trained online missionary in the safety of their own home. Through a mobile device, they are able to connect with them, disciple them and walk with them on their journey of faith.
"What started with an ad on Facebook becomes a changed life, a disciple who makes more disciples. It's becoming a community that is changing the face of the Arab world."
York Moore
President and CEO, Coalition for Christian Outreach
York preaches daily on TikTok and has more than 700,000 followers.
"A lot of times, we look at this generation and think it's going in the wrong direction. It's the first generation that's more religiously unaffiliated than affiliated, and couple that with the rise of a global youth culture. We also see the ubiquitous presence of digital platforms and devices.
"Many people see religious disaffiliation as a bad thing, but that means they're not coming with religious baggage, apprehensions, questions and hurts. This is actually the greatest evangelistic opportunity we've seen in hundreds of years.
"Conference host Billy Wilson said one person at a time. I'll add to that by saying one screen at a time. This is the most available mission field in human history. We have an opportunity to engage people with the gospel without going through television and distribution channels and these kinds of things.
"I'm not just teaching the Bible on TikTok. I'm inviting young people to have an encounter with God. I've seen healings, people released from demonic activity, families coming to Christ. When we preach the gospel on these platforms, we're inviting people to experience the living God. When in human history has that been possible across the globe at the same time? These are very exciting times."
André Gonçalves
Nextgen pastor, Zion Church, Brazil
In addition to his role as pastor, André also works in marketing for Netflix in Brazil "I believe there's a generation coming to the marketplace that will be filled with the Holy Spirit. As leaders, we have the commission to empower them and to give them the vision, just like Moses did.
"Where are the new young producers, directors and writers? The digital screen is there. I wish we could produce content that is shown on screen and shows our Lord to this generation in a new and convincing way.
"All of us need to be filled with the Holy Spirit. But then we need to understand that the Holy Spirit is really creative and has always been looking for different ways of doing things. I believe there is a creative wave coming.
"I praise God for The Chosen because it's a well-crafted, excellent product telling the story of Christ. But there are a lot of other stories too that can carry the values and carry Jesus in different ways, and this is the time to tell them."
Bobby Gruenewald
Founder, YouVersion Bible app
As well as founding YouVersion, Bobby is pastor and innovation leader at Life Church in Oklahoma.
"This moment we are in is incredible because not only do we have more people alive than ever before, we're more connected than we've ever been. We don't just have an opportunity to leverage this but a responsibility – God has placed us in this moment for a purpose.
"As new technologies come out, it can be dizzying. But as leaders of ministries, we have to be postured with a level of curiosity, asking how new tools can be used for the gospel. That will lead us to ideas and inspire us with visions that we'll be able to leverage over the next ten years.
"For me, the Bible app started with the question, 'how can technology help me read the Bible more consistently?' It led to an idea, then God turned it into what it is today. It comes down to the question: what problem is it solving, how does technology connect people?
"Technology changes by the day. The current hype cycle is how artificial intelligence can help us have conversations and interact with technology in a way we couldn't before. There are great opportunities for the gospel and evangelism there. But things will look different in six months, so we can't become too fixated on one particular tool. We need to be postured with curiosity and anticipation, experimenting, taking risks, being willing to test things and see if they're effective."
Kevin Palau
President and CEO, Luis Palau Association
Kevin directs the ministry his father founded to unite churches in cities to love and serve their communities and share the gospel.
"The Palau Association has always been about mobilising the body of Christ in a city to think deeply about that city.
"But for us, the digital space is new. We were a 60-year-old organisation that was doing Billy Graham-style crusades and found ourselves asking how new opportunities present themselves technologically.
"Today, we do daily Facebook and Instagram and TikTok ads. Every week between 35,000 and 45,000 people indicate a commitment to Christ just in English and Spanish.
"In the past five years, we've been shocked at this openness and have got a lot of help and advice from people who have lived in the digital space more than us.
"Hopefully, it's encouraging that an older, traditional organisation which people might think of as just doing big events can pivot toward digital.
"God is a great evangelist. It's a matter of being in tune with the Holy Spirit and trusting that he's always going to take us into places where the gospel can be shared."