By Sammy Tippit, Special to the Baptist Message
ALEXANDRIA, La. (LBM) – Technology has erased borders, and the Great Commission has never been more within the world’s reach.
You can sit in your living room on a Tuesday evening and reach 100 people for Christ. The next day, from your home office, you can preach to 30,000 people gathered in a town halfway around the world. It sounds impossible, but these are realities that I have experienced first-hand and taught others to embrace.
Yet few are seizing this opportunity.
Digital Evangelism is Powerful
Fifty years ago, my friend Wade Akins and I came to know each other because of our connections to Louisiana College (Louisiana Christiam University) — a friendship that would span decades of ministry around the world.
More recently, when Wade heard about my “Skype Evangelism” efforts, he called asking, “Can you teach me?” So, during his visit to San Antonio, I showed him how to use his cell phone to connect with the world and share the Gospel.
The results were overwhelming.
Wade began reaching thousands of people and training others to do the same, including Pastor Truman Herring, another Louisiana native and the first person to ever share the Gospel with me. Now Truman preaches around the world almost daily, seeing thousands come to Christ from his home in Georgia.
I have personally witnessed God use this approach to plant churches in villages where no Christians previously existed, conduct mass evangelistic events with tens of thousands in attendance, and disciple new believers across continents.
The harvest is ready, and the technology is in your hands!
Getting Started
Step 1: Build Relationships. Do not just broadcast “in the dark” – make connections overseas. Global digital evangelism thrives on authentic relationships with in-country leaders who share your heart for the lost. Even as I write this, a Southern Baptist pastor of Indian descent from Ohio is in India, fresh from our Digital Bible Institute training, and is showing churches how to partner for evangelistic outreach.
Step 2: Master Basic Technology. Do not let technology intimidate you. I began when an Indian pastor I had mentored asked for help in discipling new believers in his congregation. We used Skype — he connected a television to his computer, and I spent several days teaching and discipling remotely. Then he asked me to conduct an evangelistic meeting. So, the new believers I had just trained took what they had just learned and invited people to the meeting. We saw about 100 people come to Christ, most of whom joined my friend’s church. Since then, I have used various platforms — WhatsApp, Skype, Facebook, and others — to reach people in homes and large outdoor gatherings. The platform matters less than the heart behind it.
Step 3: Gather Your Equipment. You need surprisingly little to start:
— high-speed internet connection (you may need to fund a one-month connection for your in-country partner);
— smartphone, tablet, or computer (on your end);
— in-country partner with basic tech skills;
— (for larger events) a projector, screen, and sound system (on their end); and
— (optional) wireless lapel microphone for clearer audio.
Step 4: Start Small, Dream Big. Begin with home meetings or small gatherings organized by your partner in that country. I have conducted intimate meetings in living rooms and massive outdoor events with equal effectiveness. Remember that the size of the audience does not determine the size of the harvest — God does.
Prayer is Essential
Any attempt to reach people with the Gospel must be saturated in prayer. We must speak in the power of the Holy Spirit, never becoming dependent on technology alone. Technology is merely a tool, effective only as it is wielded in the power of God’s Spirit. Also, Satan will do everything possible to hinder the Gospel from going beyond your church or community. Thus, prayer is not optional – it is critical, especially when us[1]ing technology. So, pray! Pray! And pray more!
Global Mission Field Awaits
The Great Commission has never been more achievable — from your kitchen table, you can reach the unreached, and from your church office, you can plant churches on continents you have never visited. The question, then, is not whether you have the means but whether you have the heart.
The Gospel is the hope of the world, and today, you can take it further than you ever imagined—without leaving your home.
Will you answer the call?
Evangelist Sammy Tippit was saved while attending Istrouma Baptist Church, Baton Rouge, ordained by the First Baptist Church, Walker, and now resides in San Antonio, Texas.
