Vietnam (MNN) — Congregations that previously kept to themselves now put the love of Christ on full display.

Vietnam (MNN) — Technology drives industry, which supports the economy and people in turn. When technology advances, every subsequent link in the chain improves as a result.

For example, steam engines propelled the first industrial revolution in the 1700s. Today, “smart” devices power Industry 4.0. A3’s Joe Handley says, “We’re moving into a period of automation; there’s all that talk about A.I. impacting multiple fields.”

Adaptation varies widely. In Vietnam, “Some churches were not up to speed with the digital revolution. Especially once you got outside the big cities, the capacity to engage online was really limited,” Handley says.

The COVID-19 pandemic forced churches to adjust. More about that here.

“Vietnam shut down; they went on a pretty strong lockdown that impacted them economically [and] their ability to meet as churches,” Handley says.

Today, congregations that previously kept to themselves now put the love of Christ on full display. “They’re reaching out to their neighbors with food, shelter, and community,” Handley says.“They’re able to reach out digitally via different platforms.”

Vietnamese believers can expand their reach moving forward using skills they gained during the pandemic. Sharing the Gospel or meeting online allows Christians in rural communities to overcome traditional barriers like space and time.

Praise God for providing the technology that allows believers to connect with each other and with people in need. Pray that new believers stand firm in their faith while facing family rejection, evictions, and beatings.

“Modern challenges that the church face[s] include pressure from the government, and there are other dynamics at play that impact them as well,” Handley says.

“The church has been growing about two percent per year, which is not too bad considering the dynamics they’ve been facing.”

The work that the Body of Christ has been doing in the community helped pave the way for good relationships between the government and churches, which enabled BGEA Festivals to take place in March.

Listen to the broadcast (story starts at 1:35)

Direct Link: https://a3-media.s3-us-west-1.amazonaws.com/audio/mnn/4-5min-Jul14-2023.mp3

More Information

• This story by Katey Hearth was originally published on 14-Jul-2023 by Mission Network News:
  https://www.mnnonline.org/news/churches-in-vietnam-adapt-to-industry-4-0/
  
• Download the audio file: https://a3-media.s3-us-west-1.amazonaws.com/audio/mnn/4-5min-Jul14-2023.mp3
• Image credits:
  • Header image is a representative stock photo courtesy of Dương Nhân/Pexels.
  • Inset photo of woman on a bicycle courtesy Sarah N/Pixabay

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