By Message Staff
ALEXANDRIA, La. (LBM)–Southern Baptist evangelists used the internet to share the Gospel message with at least 400,000 individuals during the Easter season.
“Covered by the Cross” was presented via livestream on the Conference of Southern Baptist Evangelists’ Facebook page, April 9, and was available on-demand throughout the next three days. The special one-hour broadcast featured music plus a message by COSBE President Sammy Tippit, who co-hosted the meeting with Richard Hamlet, president and CEO of Global Ministries Foundation in Memphis, Tennessee.
“This was a historic moment for our evangelists and our organization,” Tippit told the Baptist Message. “We were able to present the Gospel to hundreds of thousands of people. It has opened a door for us to learn how to minister to a hurting world through the technological tools He’s given us in our generation.”
Tippit reported that at least 100,000 persons logged into and watched the livestream from start to finish, and that there were 400,000 views, total. But he added that there was no way to count how many additional individuals were watching each device that was logged in (families, Bible study groups, etc.). He also noted that nearly 200 U.S. churches and other organizations participated, and, that a Pakistani Christian television station translated the event into Urdu and aired it three times on Easter Sunday.
“People were so hungry that Pakistani Christians wanted to use our service to share the Gospel with their country via television. Many people came to Christ,” he said. “We have heard from people around the world how God touched their hearts through this online outreach. We are humbled by the grace of God.”
