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And although it is not the only network
of its kind, the potential for this particular example of ‘digital empowerment’
has been recognised by the American Bible Society
(ABS) as a significant complement to its own mission of Scripture dissemination.
“Did you ever wonder what other churches are doing? Have you ever wished that you could let others know about the mission and activities of your church? Have you ever considered HOW much positive momentum would be created if churches could actively share ideas and resources? Well, we have!”
So states the ‘Vision & Mission Statement’ for the Houses of Worship (HOW) media project, which was launched in 1997 by a small team of computer specialists, led by robotics specialist Robert Thibadeau, the Director of the Imaging Systems Laboratory at the Carnegie-Mellon University’s renowned Robotics Institute in Pittsburgh.
Thibadeau and his staff hope that by providing this access to the World Wide Web, churches will find the task of communications as easy as typing a message into a word processor.
This vision has been brought into being thanks to a cooperative venture known as Ekklesia which has drawn together the ABS – which has also helped to fund the project with a grant of US$5 million – the non-profit Pittsburgh Leadership Foundation, and on TV, a local digital information service.
By clicking on an on-screen menu, users
will be able to find lists of church congregations in their area, by geography
or denomination, times of services or other events, or even the ministers’
sermons. The content choice is being left to the churches themselves, with
the data updated by anyone authorized by the church.
System security is taken very seriously, and the HOW network is staffed 24 hours a day by vigilant workers alert to potential abuse of the system by hackers. External threats have so far not proved a particular problem, but are seen as an increasing risk as the network attracts more and more attention.
By late 1997 some 330,000 churches had already
taken up the service, but as for the future, Thibadeau envisages the program
as having global potential, and would like to see all churches worldwide – an
estimated two million – online by the turn of the century.
So the project is really in its infancy: “Using the power and reach of the Internet, we are helping to give the houses of worship throughout North America a more powerful, far-reaching voice,” the statement concludes. “What you see here today, though, is only the beginning. We have planted the seeds that will soon blossom into a tremendous resource for the purpose of strengthening the religious foundation of the global community!” (WR 329/15 - 3.98)
The internet address for the HOW network is: http://www.ForMinistry.com
