Why a missionary media organization?

Written by Mark Anderson*
*Pseudonym. Real names and sensitive information are not disclosed for security reasons.

While I was carrying out Bible translation ministry in a Muslim-majority country in Southwest Asia, walking through the streets and stilt house villages, thoughts kept coming to my mind: How can the Word of God reach these distant homes? How will these people understand what Christ has done for them? No missionary will ever enter these narrow alleys! Yet for Him who was born in the insignificant Bethlehem and grew up in the despised Nazareth, no place, not even the most distant, is unworthy of His presence.

To obtain a visa and stay in the country, I was pursuing a master’s degree. One day, a muslim professor stated, ‘With the internet, we can no longer control what young people read or watch.’ Despite of her negative tone, I became convinced that the widespread use of cellphones in that Islamic country could present a great opportunity to share the Gospel, especially in such a closed and restrictive context.

Many Bible translation projects are underway, each carried out with great care and dedication. Yet there’s a noticeable gap in channels to get these translations into the hands of those who need them most. For instance, in a language group spoken by roughly 5 million people, just over 1,000 downloads of the Bible app have been made. There’s a vast, untapped potential here. We recognize that digital media today plays a crucial role in spreading the Gospel, much like the printing press did during the Reformation. Swordshare seeks to be in God’s hands as a response to this need.