Bible Bookstore

Sunday, June 14, 1998

By JAMES DERK / Scripps Howard News Service

American teenagers, who are comfortable using computers for everything from online dating to relaxed chatting, also are using them for matters of faith.

A new national study of 620 teens and 1,006 adults shows a steadily increasing number of Americans are using computers and the worldwide Internet for religious purposes.

The study, from Barna Research Group, shows adults are most likely to use the Internet to supplement their religious activities. About 12 percent of those surveyed said they had used the Internet for religious purposes in the last month, mostly chat rooms and e-mailed discussions.

But 16 percent of teenagers surveyed said they expect the Internet to replace church-going for them in the next five years.

"Our research indicates that by 2010 we will probably have 10 percent to 20 percent of the population relying primarily or exclusively upon the Internet for its religious input," said George Barna, president of the polling firm. "These people will never set foot on a church campus because their religious and spiritual needs will be met through other means, including the Internet."

Barna, who has written a new book "The Second Coming of the Church," predicts the "cyberchurch" will become a force in the religious community.

"Whether or not the cyberchurch is a 'true' church may not be as pressing an issue as what current church leaders will do about the inevitable gravitation of tens of millions of people away from the existing church and how they can help to shape this emerging church form," he said.

Already many teenagers are using the Internet and online services to supplement or replace some forms of religious expression, he said.

"A large proportion of teenagers use the Net for conversation with others," he said. "A substantial number of cyberchatters engage in dialogue related to faith, spirituality, religion, meaning and truth -- the very types of conversations that are often initiated or fostered by churches.

"Teens do not think of those conversations as religious expression but the sense of community and the spiritual beliefs fostered by such dialogue on spiritual matters is identical to what the traditional church seeks to create within its congregation."

The idea of a "cyberchurch" is not all that farfetched. Many churches are establishing detailed sites on the World Wide Web, and with the march of technology, people could enjoy an entire multimedia church service while away at college or otherwise unable to attend.

Pastors would rather all of their members attend church every week, but if they cannot, attending via computer is better than nothing, they say.

The Rev. Stephen Schwambach, pastor of Bethel Temple in Evansville, Ind., plans to develop an entire online church service soon, complete with live audio and video. To him, the Internet is a natural extension of other electronic means of getting the word of God to those who want to hear it, including the church's televised services and its Web page.

"I don't see it as a threat to the brick and mortar church any more than cable TV was to the movies," he said. "The only brick and mortar churches that are in danger are those that are irrelevant in their content."

People still want and need the strength that comes from being in a congregation, he said. The Internet will only develop as a supplement to that.

"The truth be known, it's hard to get a hug from your computer," he says.

The Rev. David Niednagel, senior pastor of Christian Fellowship Church in northern Vanderburgh County, Ind., said e-mail is especially valuable for churches wanting to keep in touch with members away at college.

For many, departing for college is the first step away from home and encouraging e-mail from the home church can be welcome. "It's a great way to keep in touch with students on campus," he said. "Years ago I did that using the regular mail, just sending along an encouraging note or some Scripture. Now with e-mail we can send something to the whole gang."

The Internet also helps link people across worldwide borders. Churches can keep in touch with missionaries overseas and even follow along as humanitarian missions are performed.

The Rev. Myron Effing, an Evansville, Ind., native, is in Russia overseeing the rebuilding of a huge congregation and church facilities from the Most Holy Mother of God Church in Vladivostok, the only Catholic church in a 1,800-mile radius.

Much of his appeal for assistance is done via the Internet and without it they'd be in much worse shape, he said.

"As far as we know, we are the first church mission to have its total operation overseas in the mission land. This is possible only because of electronic mail. Were we to use mail and fax, it would be prohibitively expensive and very time-consuming. Even air-mail takes three weeks to reach us from America. The speed and economy of e-mail makes it possible."

The entire mission would be much more difficult without the power of a home computer, he said.

"We brought a computer with us when we came to Russia. It has served us not only for communications via e-mail but is our typewriter, printing press, typesetter and fax machine all in one."

And the Internet can help bring understanding and learning.

Rabbi David Feder of Adath B'Nai Israel Temple in Evansville said his classes of young people are using the Internet to take "cybertours" of Israel and to learn more about their culture. "It's a tool to help people educate themselves. I don't think it will ever replace human contact, but it is becoming a very useful tool."

Because Evansville doesn't have a large Jewish community, young people can use chat rooms and e-mail to build friendships based on common faith, he said.

And for some, those who shun the contact of others, the Internet can offer a way to worship.

"For some, I suspect the Net is church," said James R. Adams, president of The Center for Progressive Christianity in Cambridge, Mass. "Being absorbed with browsing can be one way of coping with anxiety or despair."

(James Derk writes for The Evansville Courier in Evansville, Ind.)