In the third panel session on Monday morning at the World Evangelical Alliance (WEA) General Assembly in Seoul, Lord Robert Edmiston and Lady Tracie Edmiston of Christian Vision (CV) shared how their global ministry is using technology to accelerate evangelism and empower believers worldwide.
Speaking on the theme of mobilizing every believer for kingdom work, Lord Edmiston reflected on his journey as a businessman turned evangelist, emphasizing the vital role of entrepreneurs in advancing the gospel.
“I’m a businessman, and I think businessmen are really important because they have numbers in their phone books that can unlock things for the church,” he said, recalling how his business connections once helped facilitate humanitarian outreach to Vietnamese refugees in Hong Kong.
From Shortwave Radio to Social Media
Founded in 1988, Christian Vision began as a media ministry using shortwave radio to broadcast the gospel across continents. “We bought a major station in Zambia covering Central Africa, one in Chile for Latin America, one in Australia for Southeast Asia, and one in Germany for Eastern Europe,” Edmiston explained.
But as technology evolved, CV adapted its methods. “It became increasingly impossible with shortwave to reach that number of people,” he said. “Then we found that social media was increasing, so we converted all our activities to social media.”
He described the shift as a divine opportunity: “The Bible says, ‘The wealth of the wicked is laid up for the righteous.’ Suddenly, we had this new digital platform. Before COVID, we were reaching 2 million people a month. When COVID came, it was like God switched the lights on—we were reaching more than a million people every day.”
CV’s online campaigns have now reached more than 1.5 billion people, Edmiston said, highlighting how mobile phones have opened access to remote areas. “In the old days, they walked by foot, then came printed material, radio, and TV. Now, with social media, how blessed is the finger that presses the button that sends good news.”
Empowering Every Christian to Tell Their Story
At the core of CV’s strategy is storytelling. “The New Testament wasn’t written yet in the early church, but what believers had was their story,” Edmiston said. “If 650 million evangelical Christians each told their story to one person, we could change the world.”
Through its website, cvglobal.co, the ministry produces hundreds of testimonies and evangelistic resources in multiple languages. These digital stories are designed to be easily shared by individuals or used by churches to reach their communities.
“We partner with churches and produce material they can use to spread the gospel,” he said. “It makes it so easy for Christians to share their faith—stories of people who were depressed, suicidal, or searching for meaning. You can just send it to a friend.”
Lady Tracie Edmiston followed her husband’s presentation, speaking passionately about CV’s commitment to innovation and evangelism. “Perhaps because I’m getting older, I’m continually captivated by the awe and wonder of Jesus—how He can change and transform lives,” she said. “That’s the heart of CV.”
She explained that while methods may change, the mission remains constant. “Our tactics, tools, and strategies may shift as needed, but our mission will always be to introduce people to Jesus and equip the church to do the same.”
As a ministry founded by an entrepreneur, CV has “pioneering and innovation in its DNA,” she added. “That means emerging technologies, doing things at scale, and using every tool available to take Jesus into unreached communities—both physical and digital.”
Lady Edmiston emphasized that Christian Vision’s approach is collaborative and service-oriented. “We give everything we have and everything we know away for free,” she said. “We don’t know everything, but the lessons we learn along the way, we humbly share to serve the church.”
She described CV’s dual focus: to help individual Christians become confident witnesses and to support churches in their outreach. “We try to activate individual Christians to share Jesus in their own communities and serve the church in its evangelistic vision. It’s for every single one.”
