In a recent conversation with Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life, Pastor Rick Warren of Saddleback Community Church in Lake Forest, CA commented, 
“The last 50 years has seen the greatest redistribution of a religion ever in the history of the world. For instance, in 1900, 71% of all ‘Christians’ lived in Europe; by 2000 it had declined to just 28% who claimed to be Christian. Far fewer go to church. Conversely, in 1900, only 10% of all people in Africa (10 million) were Christians vs. over 50% (360 million) today…I may surprise some when I say that there 
are by far more Christians in China than in America. There are more Presbyterians in Ghana than in Scotland, where they were founded by John Knox. There are more Baptists in the India state of Nagaland than in the American South. There are more Anglicans in Kenya or Uganda or Rwanda or Nigeria than in England. There are two million Anglicans in England compared to 17 million in Nigeria. Last Sunday, more Christians went to church in China than all of Europe combined. This is a fundamental shift. If you want to know the future of Christianity, it is the developing world. It’s Africa, Latin America and Asia.” (Pew Forum 13 Nov 2009)
It is hard to believe but it is already happening. Where else but in the land of eternal innovation – USA? Read this report and let me know what you think of a church using this as an outreach to this internet-savvy generation; as a supplement(not substitute) to actual community.
The Internet has become the hottest place to build a church. A growing number of congregations are creating Internet offshoots that go far beyond streaming weekly services. The sites are fully interactive with a dedicated Internet pastor, live chat in an online “lobby,” Bible study, 1-on-1 prayer through IM and communion. (Viewers use their own bread and wine or juice.) On one site, viewers can click on a tab during worship to accept Christ as their Savior. Flamingo Road Church, based in Cooper City, Fla., twice conducted long-distance baptisms through the Internet. The move online is forcing Christians to re-examine their idea of church. It’s a complex discussion involving theology, tradition and cultural expectations of how Christians should worship and relate. Even developers of Internet church sites disagree over how far they should go. The sites share the same basic approach: rock-style worship music and a sermon recorded at the in-person weekend service that is quickly mixed with live or recorded greetings expressly for online viewers. The phenomenon is so new that no one has an exact count of interactive online campuses. The Leadership Network has found at least 40.
1) What uses do you see in this as the Christian population ages and the shut-ins increase in number?
2) Are there theological “trespasses” or is it all a matter of variable “methodology/culture”?
3) Can there be true ministry and fellowhip without handshakes and physical presence?
4) Which church in Singapore have the resources and philosophy of ministry in place to make this internet “church plant” offshoot a reality in Singapore?
5) What if this technology could be combined to create an internet church hub with a house church network (in Singapore and beyond) to dispense with the need for expansive and expensive church buildings?
Hmm…all kinds of possibilities and questions running through my mind as I read the above report.
We had a nice lunch at the Bukit Gombak CDANS restuarant to say goodbye to Archdeacon Raphael Samuel, Anglican priest and missionary. My good friend and classmate is flying back to Santa Cruz, Bolivia. Back to his missions field. He goes with his wife and son but the son will return later to study business in the Nanyang Technological University. He’s been here for two years and during that time he was ministering in Christchurch Anglican Church, a Tamil congregation near Kandang Kerbau Hospital. During the two years we have had several occasions to fellowship and support each other and to have those reunions with bible school classmates whenever Rev. Benedict Muthusamy, a Malaysian Presbyterian minister and moderator, or Dr TanYak Hwee, a seminary lecturer in Taiwan drops over. We have been meeting like that for over 20 years, since we all graduated in 1985 from Trinity Theological College. Goon Heo and myself are the ever-present core in this group. I wonder if other cohorts and classes have this kind of regular enduring get-togethers. So much strength and sharpening can be gained from such friendships.