January marked the beginning of a new ministry phase for Bibleinfo.com. Following a decision last year by It Is Written to discontinue its association with this global outreach ministry, the Upper Columbia Conference executive committee voted to resume ownership of Bibleinfo.com and KidsBibleinfo.com. The official change of ownership took place Dec. 31, 2008.
The transition means Bibleinfo.com will continue sharing Bible truth with people from around the world. It also means there have been staffing changes. Up until the first of the year, Bibleinfo.com was lead by Fred Hardinge. After It Is Written stopped support for BibleInfo.com, however, Hardinge began an online health evangelism ministry, PositiveChoices.com, providing interactive online lifestyle change courses, valuable health information from an Adventist perspective, and answers to common health questions.
Following Hardinge’s decision to move in a new direction, the conference executive committee voted to make Jay Wintermeyer the new director for BibleInfo.com. Wintermeyer is also the conference’s communication director and has a background in online ministry.
The Upper Columbia Conference is currently seeking funding for ongoing support of Bibleinfo.com and KidsBibleinfo.com. Wintermeyer is also talking with other Adventist ministries to find ways to partner in order to provide even greater Bible-based resources. To learn more, visit www.uccsda.org/bibleinfo.
“Bibleinfo.com and KidsBibleinfo.com are valuable outreach tools for the Adventist church,” says Wintermeyer. “Bibleinfo.com alone had more than 750,000 unique visitors last year and over 2.6 million page views. My staff and I intend to continue working with our dedicated volunteers to strengthen and grow both of these sites.”
The power of Bibleinfo.com comes from its interactive nature. Visitors are encouraged to ask Bible questions or submit prayer requests. Each receives a personal response from one of more than 200 qualified volunteers serving around the world.
Bibleinfo.com began in Spokane over 14 years ago when Max Torkelsen II, then conference communication director, felt impressed to use telephone technology to share the good news of Bible truth. Shortly thereafter, Hardinge harnessed the power of the Internet to extend the ministry's reach. Since its simple beginnings, Bibleinfo.com has grown to offer Bible answers on more than 350 topics in 21 languages.
