Clergy/Leaders’ Mail-list No. 0-177 (Leadership Issues)

E-PASTOR FOR THE E-GENERATION?

by Siu Fung Wu

As the new millennium rolls in, we find ourselves living in an “e-world”. Terms like e-business, e-solutions, e-commerce, and e-generation are becoming part of our everyday language. The increasingly popular question we ask is: “What is your e-mail address?”

In the twenty-first century, pastors and church leaders are faced with the challenge of making themselves “technologically- compliant”. Whilst some ministers – especially those who love working with their lap-tops – find that hi-tech communication tools render new opportunities for the gospel, others are concerned about the possible negative impact of information technology. Some are still trying to grapple with how on earth they can catch up with the new technologies around them.

Do we need “e-pastors” for this e-generation? How should we respond to this electronic age? The following is an attempt to deal with some of the issues that we have to face because of the rapidly changing environment we live in.

Be Bold to Learn —————-

Firstly, to be a part of the technological world is not as difficult as it seems. If you know of people who are apprehensive to use the computer, let them know that it is in fact not too hard to use a PC. It pays to be a bit audacious to use the computer. One does not have to be a genius to learn how to send e-mails, or even surf the internet. Computer programs today are so user-friendly that one can be an active participant of the e-world without knowing much about electronics. It is in fact much easier than learning to drive, and one does not need to be a mechanic to be a good driver!

I know of a respected retired ministry couple in their 70s who learned to use e-mails and the internet not long ago, and they have been “e-pastors” to us for some time. So, if you know of people who are keen to be a part of this e-generation but is a bit anxious about it, encourage them to get on to a PC and start using it. Perhaps you can introduce them to someone who knows computers so that some tuition can be given to them. I am sure that it won’t be long before your friends become “e-compatible”!

E-Technology, Communication and Relationship ——————————————–

Secondly, the key advantage of using e-technology for ministry is that it provides excellent communication tools to build relationships and search information. In a world where people are no longer easily contactable on the phone (and it is so annoying to find yourself speaking to an answering machine or ringing a mobile phone that is switched off!), it is often more efficient to organise meetings and activities via e-mails. A web site is definitely a very effective way to introduce your church to Christians and indeed to the world. There are also quality Bible study material, church news, and Christian discussion groups on the internet. These can be most useful for a busy pastor.

Just an example of how e-mails can be important for ministry: Early this year a dear member at our church moved overseas. For some time she could not find a church she felt comfortable with, while at the same time she was faced with all sorts of problems and issues of adjusting to a new environment. For months my wife and I acted as her “e-pastors” across the ocean – encouragement, prayer and counselling – until she finally settled down in a good church. It would have been much harder for her (and us!) if there were no cyber technology.

A Warning ———

While communicating through e-mails can help to “connect” in this generation, it can be most “disconnecting”, and indeed it can subtly isolate people from each other. The very technology that is designed to help us to communicate can in fact be a barrier to relationship.

It is possible that we do not see a person for a long time because we think we are already “keeping in touch” via e-mail. We can forget the importance of handshakes, hugs, and sincere smiles, because we only convey our feelings across electronic wires. “E- relationships” can be alarmingly impersonal because we cannot see the shining eyes when someone is happy or the tears when someone is hurting. Even when technology can transmit images on line at low cost (which is forthcoming), the human touch will still be missing.

Ministers need to be careful with the potential danger of pastoring in an “e-fashion”. Linking and bonding require genuine and tangible exchange of feelings. Visitations and face-to-face discipleship are in fact more important than ever in this age of information technology where people are trained from childhood to talk to machines and not real people. The human touch and genuine love coming from sincere Christians may well be the only tangible relationship people can experience. People are longing for reality because they live in a world of “virtual realities” – a bizarre and destroying phenomenon in this postmodern era.

A Current Trend Among Christians ——————————–

Thirdly, the “e-culture” may pose a major threat to the spiritual life of Christians. One effect of the information age on Christians is the tendency not to read the Bible for all its worth. The dire consequence of that is a lack of spiritual knowledge and understanding of the character of God – who has revealed himself through the holy Scriptures.

To some extent this is already happening. An article in Christianity Today last year (August 9, 1999) revealed the startling biblical illiteracy of today’s believers. Studies performed among groups of evangelical Christians, who had a long history of personal devotion and church attendance, showed that although the Bible was “used”, it was rarely “read”. In the words of the author of the article, “The Bible has become a springboard for personal piety and mediation, not a book to be read.”

Believers today rely – alarmingly – too much on sermon tapes, teaching videos, Christian conferences and TV programs. While Christians understand certain biblical principles and can even memorise some Scriptures, few of them have read the whole Bible more than once or twice – even years after their conversion. The result is that they know of only certain aspects of God’s character, and which aspects they know depend on what materials they have encountered in the Christian media.

Although multimedia presentation of the gospel and biblical truth is undeniably important and effective, pastors are not doing their flocks a favour if they do not ensure that Christians develop their relationship with God primarily through devotional Bible reading and prayer.

The E-Culture and the Written Language ————————————–

It seems that the internet and e-mails will contribute further to the current trend of Bible illiteracy. The dominant role of the internet in information research and communication means that the written language is becoming less important. In fact, people are already speaking of an end to the written language (see, for example, Good Weekend, The Age Magazine, Melbourne, January 1, 2000). Some have predicted that a predominantly oral culture will be created in the future, for the need of reading and writing will diminish. This may be an exaggeration, but there are elements of truth in it.

Although it is unlikely that the written language has a use-by- date, it is inevitable that books, journals, and magazines will gradually be replaced by electronic media (such as CDs and on-line internet look-ups). These in turn contain increasingly more visual and audio material with corresponding decreasing amount of written words. People will be less attracted to reading books, for it is far more convenient and appealing to look up information electronically.

For Christians in the e-generation, it is possible that the Bible will not be read as a “book” (that the Holy Spirit has inspired). Instead, it is merely a reference that Christian materials in electronic mediums refer to. For example, when Christians want to find comfort from the Bible in a stressful circumstance, they can simply look up an on-line concordance and search for the word “anxiety”. All biblical references to the word will then pop up on the computer screen. (The search can of course be done using the Greek and Hebrew equivalent of the word.)

This is good in itself for Bible studies. But one wonders how often these biblical references will be taken out of context if the Scripture is used solely in this way. And more distressingly, one wonders whether Christians can independently draw strength from the Lord in life’s situations through their intimately knowledge of God’s Word if it is no longer their habit to read the whole Bible.

Not a Gloomy Picture ——————–

This rather gloomy picture of the future, however, should not become a reality if we are aware of such a trend. Let us teach our congregations to read the Bible as God’s own Word. The question is not whether the Bible we read is a paperback, has hard cover, stored in a CD, or even a “net Bible”. The issue is whether we read the whole Scripture or bits and pieces of it. An indiscreet use of the e-technology will foster the latter. Remember, “all” Scripture is God-breathed – says the apostle Paul. (2 Tim 3:16; NIV)

Let us make full use of what the e-world can offer us to communicate God’s love. Let us be “e-ready”! But let us also be aware of its potential threat on relationship and Bible literacy. Let us be “e-resistant”.

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Written by Siu Fung Wu JustCHARIS Institute