Obiano speaks on 2015 World day of communication

The Importance of the Mass Media in Evangelism

A paper presented by the Governor of Anambra State, His Excellency, Chief Willie Obiano to mark 49th Edition of the World Day of Communication at the Holy Ghost
Cathedral, Ogui, Enugu on Sunday, May 17, 2015.
Protocol

Preamble:
Since the 19th and 20th Centuries, our world has not witnessed more profound changes than the changes foisted on us by the advent of the mass media. These changes are so colossal in scale that they fairly compare to the impact of Industrial Revolution on the human society.Indeed the effect of the mass media is so vast and compelling that the timeless pillars which the society rests upon are firmly anchored on it. Such pillars as religion and faith, governance, culture, worldviews, knowledge and philosophyetc have all benefitted from the enormous possibilities offered by the media. Under the onslaught of the mass media, traditional societies have shrugged off their old ways without knowing it. There have been fundamental shifts in paradigms and sea-changes in attitudes, occasioned by the awesome influence of the mass media on diverse societies. While the human community has always tended to evolve slowly, there is obviously no doubt that the overarching influence of the mass media has shaken down the foundations of racial stereotypes, cultural prejudices and knowledge failures in a manner that cannot be easily ignored. It is my intention to cast a beam of light on these tidal changes induced by the mass media and their implications on the spread of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

Mass Media and the Gospel
In the entire Christendom, it is believed that the authority to preach the Word was handed down by our Lord Jesus Christ in what is now referred to asthe GreatCommission in Mark 16:15 where He Charged His Disciples, saying to them – “Go ye into all the world and preach the gospel to all creature.” Since this commission, Christians have devised various means of spreading the good news. Early missionaries had to travel great distances at grave risk to their lives to preach the Word. However, with the advent of the mass media which makes communication possible between a source and a heterogeneous audience scattered in far-flung locations, modern missionaries have taken the Gospel to the four corners of the world while sitting in a quiet corner of the globe. The walls of incredulity have fallen to the remarkable combination of audio-visuals - the streaming of clear images and voices that heightens believability and makes for aesthetic entertainment. In specific terms,traditional media organs like the television, radio, newspapers and magazines opened new windows for the Gospel to reach difficult locations. The emergence Christian broadcasting stations like the Vatican Television Center created in 1983 by Pope John Paul II underscores the importance of mass media to evangelism. Other notable efforts like the establishment of Trinity Broadcasting Network (TBN) andChristian Broadcasting Network (CBN) and the emergence of Televangelists like Mother Angelica, Kenneth Copeland, T.D Jakes, Kenneth Haggin, Juanita Bynum and Jimmy Swaggart among others are instances of how the traditional media have been deployed to aid the spread of the gospel. To bring this point closer home, we have all seen how publications like The Flame, The Leader, Fides and a host of other church newspapers have not only helped in the spread of the gospel but the building of close knit Christian communities. All these underscore the significance of the mass media to evangelism.

The Social Media and Evangelism
Since it intruded into our daily lives, the Social Media has become the most potent tool for social mobilization and engagement in the 21st Century. In fact, it is so powerful that Pope Benedict himself thought it wise to launch his own smartphone in 2013. The Pontiff further described the Social Media as “Spaces for Evangelization” and urged the faithful to embrace the phenomenon, saying that Unless the Good News is made known also in the digital world, it may be absent in the experience of many people for whom this existential space is important.” Pope Benedict’s personal application contains all official papal-related materials like news, speeches, galleries with the latest images and videos, access to Pope`s calendar and more. The app also allows users to stream videos from webcams placed in key places in Vatican. The truth though is that the Papal endorsement of the Social Media as a veritable tool for evangelization does not come as a surprise. The world is familiar with the enormous powers of this phenomenon.
We are all aware of how some political leaders rose to occupy positions of pre-eminence through strident campaigns in the social media. Indeed, the explosion of the Internet and the easy access that most people have to mobile information applications has created boundless platforms for conversation and social interaction. It is fascinating to note for instance that Pope Benedict’s official twitter account which was created in December 2012 ratcheted over 1.5million followers one month after. In Nigeria, the Social Media has been the single most active forum of interaction in the past five years. There are over 1.2 billion Facebook users worldwide. Out of this figure 11, 200,000 Facebook users as at January 2014 are Nigerians. Judging from the rate at which our people have embraced that platform, I have no doubt that this figure would have doubled by now. Nigeria also leads the continent in Internet penetration with over 83million Internet users. With a teledensity of 101.85 million as at February this year, 30% of which are smartphone users, it is crystal clear that the Social Media will continue to retain its position as the leading platform for social, religious and cultural interaction in Nigeria.

In conclusion, I make bold to say that the challenge that lies before the Church of Jesus Christ in Nigeria and indeed all over the world is how to tame the Social Media and turn it into the ultimate tool for evangelization and fellowship. It would seem that we all have a lot of work to do in this regard. Interestingly, some of our Pentecostal brethren seem to have adopted the social media faster than us. The leaders of the mega Pentecostals like Pastor Enoch Adeboye, Bishop David Oyedepo and Bishop Mike Okonkwo have active Facebook accounts. It is gratifying to note however, that Anthony Cardinal OlubunmiOkogie, former Archbishop of Lagos and Arch Bishop Valerian Okeke of the Archdiocese of Onitsha are also active on Facebook with large followers. But even so, this is not enough, in view of the growing influence of the social media on the youths. What cannot be gainsaid is the fact that if the Church of Jesus Christ must retain a firm hold on the youths, we must all keep a date with them on the social media – the new rendezvous. However, beyond opening and operating a Facebook account, we must also begin to give the prospects of setting up cyber churches a serious thought. If current social media trends are anything to go by, cyber or digital churches are just a shout away and we must be perceptive enough to gain the first mover advantage. In all, I think it is reassuring to note that we are already looking in this direction. This event is proof that it can be done.

Thank you

Chief Willie Obiano
Governor