Online Ministry Sees Number of People Seeking Jesus Skyrocket Amid Coronavirus Pandemic
As the coronavirus focuses millions around the world on something other than the latest triviality, the digital ministry Global Media Outreach is reporting an unprecedented spike in conversions and individuals seeking to begin a conversion journey.
“God is working,” Jeff Gowler, president of the organization, told The Christian Post. “It’s just one piece of amazing evidence of what God is able to do in the lives of people, particularly that are willing to seek him, through the internet.”
The group says that in response to the uncertainty of the times, people are seeking the certainty of hope offered by Christianity.
“Fear is a natural response to a situation like this that none of us have encountered before,” Global Media Outreach founder and chairman Walt Wilson said in a statement to The Post.
“What we’re seeing is millions of people open to talking about faith in the face of fear, and we’re ramping up to be available for them.”
As the coronavirus has spread, Global Media Outreach has seen its daily reach rise from about 350,000 people a day to more than half a million people around the world.
“We’re not going out and asking people, ‘Do you want to know about Jesus?’” Global Media Outreach director John Thompson told The Post.
“People are coming to us saying, ‘I need hope. Where can I find hope in the face of tragedy, anxiety, bankruptcy, whatever?'” he said. “When people are in pain, we offer encouragement and hope. They’re coming to us, looking for answers, and so we get great receptivity.”
Today in #COVID19 Prayer Week, we would like to pray for our fellow believers. We are currently living in a world that is unlike anything we have experienced, and we have a major opportunity to be beacons of light in this world. Will you commit to pray for one another today? pic.twitter.com/ig414cE95F
— GlobalMediaOutreach (@WitnessToAll) March 25, 2020
With 3,500 online volunteers who speak 50 different languages, Global Media Outreach has an unrivaled worldwide reach.
“It’s a great way to do evangelism because 97 percent of the world has access to an internet or satellite signal,” Gowler said. “So with the proliferation of smartphones and mobile devices, literally anybody on the planet can be reached.”
“We attract this huge audience every single day. People are searching all types of questions and then we address that question. In that context, we present the Gospel,” he added.
There have, of course, been bumps along the road.
“We actually got kicked out of China once. [Officials] discovered what we were doing,” Thompson said. “We were able to get back to China because one of our partners has a business license and can actually legitimately work there. When we tried to share the Good News of Jesus through our typical channels, we were blocked.
“But because we’re working with a partner there, we’re actually able to share Jesus directly using the internet. We’re reaching thousands of people a day right now.”
Over the last year, we’ve served up nearly 10 million Gospel Presentations to Arabic-speaking people. No power of darkness will prevail against the Lord!#WitnessToAll #evangelism #God #growth pic.twitter.com/2CwRqjeZbY
— GlobalMediaOutreach (@WitnessToAll) March 24, 2020
Thompson said the ministry grows as more and more people accept Jesus.
“It’s a simple four-steps,” he said.
“There’s a presentation of the Gospel that ends with a prayer, and then the question ‘Would you like to pray this prayer to receive Christ?’ From there, they’re given the opportunity to share their contact information. We put them in contact with one of the online missionaries, who then communicate with them, disciple them, and ask them specifically ‘Did you understand the prayer you prayed? Is that really the desire of your heart?’ And that begins the journey of discipleship that often goes on for years.”
“Oftentimes, what starts as a simple Gospel presentation, the opportunity for hope and to know Jesus, turns into a personal relationship with an online missionary as well,” Thompson added.
The organization is also providing a free download of the Bible, available in 1,800 languages.
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