Networks in Spain
Is there any other network that, in terms of its geographical extent and its ethnic, cultural and generational diversity, can compare to the church of Jesus Christ? The church was designed by God himself to be both one and diverse and that is how it should function in practice. At one and the same time it is a decentralised yet cohesive structure that enables every Christian to share in one Spirit and be a child of God through Jesus Christ.
When the church is artificially centralised so that it takes the form of an institution it may seem stronger but it is also more fragile and vulnerable. Decentralised structures, where the “intelligence” is dispersed across its members, are better able to cope with times of difficulty, such as persecution or marginalisation. In the early years of the church, when it was concentrated in Jerusalem, the authorities attacked it seeking its destruction. Yet its unintended result was to disperse the church such that it set the world on fire. The power of the church isn’t in the centre, in the institution, but rather in the living reproducing life of each cell, every Christian. When decentralised organisms are attacked, they become stronger since persecution only makes them disperse further. With centralised organisms, the opposite occurs. If they can’t repel the attacks, they die.
The Spanish Evangelical Alliance seeks to function like a network, a movement. Its purpose is to promote and make visible the unity of the church, facilitating mission that society itself might be transformed. Rather than bringing together institutions, denominations and hierarchical organizations so they can be even more powerful, it seeks to mobilise individual Christians into action and provide, as we like to put it, a dance-floor where partners in mission can find each other.
“ Is there any other network that, in terms of its geographical extent and its ethnic, cultural and generational diversity, can compare to the church of Jesus Christ?”
In order to promote unity, it is essential to put a spotlight on what is happening on the stage. So the Alliance doesn’t draw attention to itself, but rather to what is happening on the stage. It also functions like the spotlights that illuminate a building at night. If they are oriented correctly, what is seen is the building not the lights themselves. The basis for promoting unity is that the dancefloor or spotlight are barely visible but that the results of unity are clearly seen: the joint projects that are part of the mission of God that brings about the transformation of society.
Jaume Llenas, Spanish Evangelical Alliance
A practical example of this paradigm is how our media platform functions as a network of networks. I am writing from my experience as the founder of Protestante Digital and Evangelical Focus. Protestante Digital began some fifteen years ago and today has more than a million visits a month.
Jesus said to his disciples that they should be fishers of men. A fishing net is a beautiful metaphor for our current initiatives in media and social networking. Like a fishing net, a network must be solid and well-constructed, one that is highly professional and not just happy with saying “well, it is for the Lord”. It doesn’t have to be perfect but we should always be aspiring to doing our job in the most excellent way possible.
At the same time, it should be connected to other networks so that it can cover as large an area as possible. A small net has its uses, as does a fishing rod, but it has very limited potential. This is the case for many ministries which, for one reason or another, whether out of fear or preference, refuse to be associated with others who are fishing in the same waters.
In my experience the real problem is due to the design of the network, specifically in two aspects which might appear contradictory but are in fact complementary. The first is the avoidance of pyramidal control. The second is the establishment of solid working criteria that are journalistically, theologically and spiritually robust.
In our case, we are a professional media network run by evangelical Christians but with an open perspective on the context in which we operate and drawing from a broad range of evangelical and non-evangelical sources, especially in regard to current affairs.
On the other hand, our statement of faith and our ethical framework are those of the Spanish Evangelical Alliance, which acts as a Council of Reference when doubts arise. These establish the boundaries of our position on certain issues and the worldview within which we operate.
With these fundamentals, we can propose strategic alliances, establish joint projects with other groups and networks, and know when we should reject proposals of collaboration.
As a result our media group has prospered, but at the same time we have established solid collaborative relationships with other media networks across the world. Consequently, our resources and results have been multiplied way beyond what we imagined at the beginning.
Of course, as with all living things, there are surprises, doubts and complex situations. Yet we see these as positives: we would rather this than live in the sterile peace of a lonely graveyard.
Pedro Tarquís, Protestante Digital/Evangelical Focus
The Spanish Evangelical Alliance was created 140 years ago as a fruit of the World Evangelical Alliance established in London in 1846. Its members are evangelical Christians from the majority of Protestant denominations and theological persuasions with the purpose of demonstrating unity, promoting mission and transforming society. Protestante Digital is a Spanish EA digital media project which seeks to reflect those objectives of unity, mission and transformation. It has become the most widely used evangelical digital media platform in Spanish, not only among evangelical Christians but more broadly. Two years ago, an English language equivalent was launched with the same vision: Evangelical Focus. Alongside these we have developed a collaborative internet radio platform Global.Radio.FM., and an annual award, the Unamuno Friend of Protestants Award, which is bestowed on an individual or non-evangelical organization which has made a significant contribution to the integration of Evangelical Christianity in Spanish society, and which brings together professionals from the world of media and politics and evangelical leaders at its annual ceremony.