The Apostolic Cyberchurch: A Peek at
the Future?
By Cara Baker
February 21, 2000
Just a few years ago who could have imagined how much we would be able to do
on the Internet: shop, bank, access news, e-mail, hear music and see videos, to
name a few. But these days some people are turning to the Internet to worship.
Currently 4 percent of young people use the Internet for spiritual or
religious experiences, according to a April 20, 1998 study published by Barna's
Research Group of Ventura, Calif. Plus, one out of six teens (16 percent)
surveyed said within the next five years they expect to use the Internet as a
substitute for their current church-based religious experience.
"Significantly, this notion was most common among teenagers who
currently attend church regularly," the press release states. George Barna,
president of Barna's Research Group, explained the survey's results.
"Our research indicates that by 2010 we will probably have 10 percent to
20 percent of the population relying primarily or exclusively upon the Internet
for its religious input," Barna says. "Those people will never set
foot on a church campus because their religious and spiritual needs will be met
through other means—including the Internet. Whether or not the cyberchurch is
a 'true' church may not be as pressing an issue as what current church leaders
will do about the inevitable gravitation of tens of millions of people away from
the existing church and how they can help to shape this emerging church
form."
"Certainly the Net is a possible additive, but never a substitute to
church going," says youth pastor Paul Pamer of Apostolic Church Of
Barberton, Ohio. "I think this might indicate we are not doing our jobs to
provide a interesting environment for worship and spiritual growth. My
goal is to have a youth service and activities that kids would never want to
miss for anything, much less a chat room or website.
"Biblically, group worship is supported in Hebrews 10:25: "Not
forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but
exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day
approaching." However, is the trend of turning to the Internet to meet
spiritual needs making its way into the Apostolic experience?
Twenty-two year-old Robin Parfait reads Apostolic-content websites when her
college schedule prevents her from attending church Bible study service. But she
admits it's no substitute. "First and foremost, I think it is great that
Apostolics can go on the Internet and look at good, moral websites at
anytime," Parfait says. "However, I personally don't feel like anybody
should use the Internet for religious or spiritual experiences in place of
regular church attendance."
"Speaking for myself, I'd rather be in a great church service where the
Holy Ghost can be felt. Going to school during the weeknights prevents me from
participating in Wednesday night Bible study and I miss that. But, just logging
on to a website that shares the same beliefs as I do isn't enough."
Author, church historian, and futurist Leonard Sweet says the pull toward the
Internet will eventually have the opposite effect. Teens won't want to miss
youth service to stay on the computer.
"I think Barna's got a hold of a profound half truth," Sweet, who
is also president and dean of the Theological School at Drew University in
Madison, NJ, says. "I want to suggest the whole cyber worship phenomenon
actually will create the exact opposite and more people will want a hands-on,
high-touch, real-life worship experience."
When those cyber worshippers look for a real experience, will the Apostolic
movement have enough web presence among the thousands of churches to draw those
seekers?
"There is only one way to compete....keep up," says Pamer. "We
must provide and market sites that kids will send other kids to and spend time
there. Because of the ease of messaging on the Net, one kid could send a good
link to 100 young people. That helps us understand the power of a good site. One
key marketing point is a catching address. If kids can remember it, or mention
it easily by name, it will spread."
Sweet says churches with large congregations don't necessarily have the best
websites. A handful of people can maintain an effective website, but more
importantly, a web ministry.
"One creative person on the web can have a larger voice than a church of
10,000," Sweet says. "I think the church has got to understand ... in
this [cyber] world, if it doesn't have presence in the web it's not real. We
don't need any more web pages, we need web ministries. It will supplement and
strengthen it's own communal life. But if it doesn't establish presence and
power in web space, it won't have a future."
Are Apostolics behind other denominations in utilizing the web?
"Certainly not as a whole movement by percentages," Pamer says.
"By numbers? Of course, the denominal church has a multitude more of
churches, people and sites than us. But that is not a fair comparison.
There are some Apostolics who are doing a great job in conveying our
message."
Pamer's church's website, Apostolic Church of Barberton (www.apostolicchurch.com)
is more than just a website, giving an overview of the church and introducing
their staff. It includes a youth chat room, a place to submit prayer requests
and regularly updated on-line sermons and choir performances via real audio.
"Our website has been a great way to introduce people to our church,
because you can access it in the privacy of your own home," says Pamer.
"I really push my kids to tell people about the site. We also have invite
cards that have the site on them. We have had lots of non-members visit our site
and some visit our church because they ran across it on their own."
The most popular feature Apostolics are taking advantage of on the Internet
has been communication. One can now keep in touch and get to know long-distance
friends better via e-mail and instant messaging. "I think there are so many
values and virtues to it," Sweet says. "It's hard for some older
[Baby] Boomers to understand the web as a social medium. We think of it as a
place to get info; teens look at it as a place to connect. So the possibilities
of connecting with people from around the world is wonderful."
"The Internet has been a great tool for me because I have been able to
keep in touch with my old roommates from Bible college and have also been able
to find people that I hadn't seen in years," says 23-year old Leigha
Benoit, of Spring City, Tenn. "The church that my dad pastors does not have
any young people my age and so the Internet, via e-mail and instant messages,
was my way of fellowship with other young people. I have met lots of friends
on-line and have kept in touch with my friends all over the country that
normally I would never have been able to talk to as much."
"I like AOL Instant Messenger because I can talk to my Apostolic friends
that I only see once a year for no charge," says 14-year-old Kandis Barnett
of Kingsport, Tenn. "And I also get to talk to more Apostolic people that I
have never seen before on AOL Instant Messenger. My Mom and Dad would kill me
because my phone bill would be sky high if I spent as much time on the phone
talking to all my friends like I do talking to them on-line."
The future of the Net will progress quickly with features like "web
casting" becoming reality. (Webcasting is broadcasting events over the
Internet.) It's up to churches to keep up with the progress. With the America
Online and Time Warner merger announced in January, Internet broadcasting may
soon be more affordable, says Paul Moore, director of development and faculty
instructor at World Harvest Bible College, in Canal Winchester, Ohio.
"To show church services on the Internet [will be] cheaper than on
television," Moore says. "It's very probable that people who can't
find a good home church in their area are going to the Internet. It's going to
be affordable and I think the technology is going to be so accessible. There's
no question the Internet is going to absolutely change the future. How much
effect it will have in the local church all depends on what we let it do from
the leadership perspective."
Barna agrees. "The biggest question facing current Christian leaders is
not how to stop the development of the new forms of the church; such efforts
would not succeed and could merely ignite the growth of those forms," Barna
says. "Rather, the challenge is to determine how to ensure that those forms
are tuned in to the foundational theology and principles that reflect the basis
of the existing church."
ninetyandnine.com
Article © Cara Baker, 2000
--------
Cara Baker, a rare native Nashvillian, majors in journalism at Belmont
University. She is surviving Nashville's sporadic snowstorms with mugs of hot
chocolate, a giant quilt, and fuzzy white house shoes she receives from her
grandmother annually.
Have an opinion on an article? Let us know how you feel! Click feedback
& fill us in. | 
