Technology and the Mission Field

Two of my biggest passions are ministry and technology.  It has been interesting to see over the course of my lifetime how technology has become integrated with ministry and missions.  Many people complain about the negative implications that technology has made on the church, but I think there are excellent benefits as well.

In January I went to a missionary conference put on by Overland Missions.  I was surprised to find that many of the missionaries carried iPads.  In some cases, this was the only thing they carried because they could access the internet, their bible, and write notes using this device.  Growing up I would’ve been reprimanded for bringing such technology to church instead of my bible, but things have certainly changed.  In fact, making the bible accessible through a device like the iPad opens doors for missionaries.

Many countries restrict the circulation of bibles, and gathering publicly for prayer or worship is illegal.  In fact, just this month there were multiple occasions where a group of Christians were shot and killed in Pakistan.  A church in Nigeria suffered two bombings, but both failed.  Fortunately, the first exploded prematurely killed the three man carrying it.  In Malaysia, there are reports the government confiscating over 30,000 bibles.  These are just a fraction of the incidents that have occurred and been reported by Voice of the Martyrs, an organization that supports Christian martyrs across the world.  With this persecution in mind, technology becomes infinitely more important in the spreading of the gospel and of basic human rights.  The gospel can be stored on a thumb drive, a computer, a phone, or a tablet.  “Sneaking” bibles into countries is no longer a difficult task.

Computer nerds are a missionary’s best friend.  Besides the ease of transporting the bible, technology has enabled missionaries to stay in touch with their families and friends while serving in remote places.  One of my best friends, Derek, spends most of the year riding a bicycle through a handful of countries in Africa spreading the gospel and creating a map of tribes that have never been reached.  In some areas on these journeys, he is able to find a wifi connection and communicate with me.  Lately, a new technology has been introduced that allows missionaries to keep track of their journeys with pictures and reports.  This is a website called Timbuctu.me.  It’s open to the public, but it was designed by the President of Overland Missions with the goal of allowing missionaries to track their missions, stay in touch, and share information.  This is a location and time based social network.  Most importantly, it keeps a permanent record of missions so multiple missions groups can stay organized and avoid duplicating work.

The use of technology in the mission field opens doors for more people to get involved.  Not everyone is designed to ride a bike around Zimbabwe, but many people can contribute financially and through the use of technology.