Knowledge Management in Evangelization

CEBU, Philippines - In a knowledge-based society, how do next-generation pastors cope with the great commission of preaching the Gospel, baptizing all nations and making them the Lord’s disciples?

Many Bible Baptist churches in the Philippines and worldwide take on the flagship mission of Matthew 28: 18 – 20 or what is popularly referred to as “The Great Commission.” It was that moment before the Ascension of the Lord Jesus Christ into heaven when Jesus spoke to his disciples: “All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. Go ye therefore and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost; teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world.”

While the Lord Jesus Christ gave the commission and imprimatur, there were no implementing rules and regulations. More than two thousand years ago, the great commission was rendered into force in brick-and-mortar societies. Things have changed. People these days and especially the youth live in information and knowledge-based societies where preaching would have to be placed in the context of social media, advertisement-driven lifestyles, virtual and video-obsessed audiences and where the Word of God is often challenged with information and knowledge-based technology.

This is an era in civilization where intellectual capital such as information and knowledge become the basis for power and growth. Where the Gross National Product used to be the barometer or indicator of economic growth, nowadays how the nation creates, accumulates, assimilates and shares information and knowledge become the basis for growth and power. It is an economy in which knowledge plays a dominant part in the creation of wealth such that he who holds knowledge and information holds power.

Can the Word of God stand scrutiny in a knowledge-based society? The answer is yes, only if the Holy Spirit speaks to a pastor in a wonderful way that would open his discernment to knowledge management. I believe that the Lord rightly prepares the one He calls and chooses to be His pastor, preacher and shepherd.

World In Need Baptist Church Pastor Kent Robert Jesalva shared his thoughts during the dedication of his church building on March 31 at Maguikay, Mandaue City:

R. Mercado:   As a next-generation pastor, how do Bible Baptists cope with the challenge of preaching the Gospel in a knowledge-based society?

Pastor Kent:  Communicating the Gospel, the unchangeable truths of the Word of God in a manner that is relevant to the knowledge-based society that we have right now – it is translating the Word of God in the language and tools that a knowledge-based society can understand in different areas. Scripture or the Gospel does not change but presenting it can be very dynamic like in music, approaches in communicating Biblical truths, among others.

Nowadays our youth and our children are complicated, very knowledge-based, very techie and so we have to speak in a language or in a technology that knowledge-based society baby-boomer Christians can relate and understand.

R. Mercado:  Knowledge management is often defined as the explicit and systematic management of processes enabling vital individual and collective knowledge resources to be identified, created, stored, shared, and used for benefit. Might there be some difficulty among pastors in incorporating and assimilating knowledge management with preaching the Word of God?

Pastor Kent:  It would be a great asset to me as pastor if there are people who want to help pastors in knowledge management. As a pastor, while it is the Lord who impresses upon the theme of messages, but with regards to translating and communicating Lord-impressed and Holy Spirit-inspired truths in a knowledge management context or integrated with knowledge management content is something I would appreciate. Still, these would have to be people who understand the work of pastors and so would be able assimilate preaching content of what pastors want to say.

Some pastors have actually been up-scaling their preaching styles. I have a pastor friend who gives his outline to his research team. The team then researches on the thoughts of the outline and gives it back to the pastor three days later. Then the pastor prays over these thoughts and picks out which materials can be applied to the thoughts and impressions that the Holy Spirit gives to him.

I am really happy when, after a preaching, my people tell me something like, “Pastor, I really understood your preaching.” Because the role of a preacher is to communicate truth and if I cannot communicate truth, I would consider myself to be ineffective.

For me, for a pastor to be more effective in message preparation, he just may have to up-scale himself with a knowledge management team for the truths and messages of Scripture to reach and be effective to audiences. You see, the work of a pastor is not just preaching or message preparation. He has to visit, minister to members, be an administrator of the church and do a lot of things. It is a reality that some pastors can be constrained with administrative activities so that preaching preparation can sometimes be affected. Always in my mind I have this question, “Lord, is this the message your people need?”

R. Mercado:  That’s true, Pastor. Seeking the Lord on the message that His people need is about audience sensitivity and Holy Spirit sensitivity. Pastors like you – who more than being Holy Spirit-sensitive  is also audience-sensitive – seem to be a rare breed among those tasked with preaching the Gospel. Thank you so much Pastor, it was a pleasure to have shared this moment of chat.

Pastor Kent:  Thank you also.