Digital Kerygma and the Role of PWGI in Proclaiming Good News in the Era of Social Media - PERKUMPULAN WARTAWAN GEREJA INDONESIA (pwgi)

By: Dharma Leksana, S.Th., M.Si.

PWGI.ORG – Jakarta, In this digital era that is all connected, where information moves so quickly and geographical boundaries are fading, the role of media and journalism is undergoing a significant transformation. In the midst of this change, the Indonesian Church Journalists Association (PWGI) is present with new challenges and opportunities in carrying out its functions. One of the fundamental functions that is relevant to PWGI, especially in the context of Christianity, is kerygma. This article will explore the relationship between PWGI and the function of kerygma, and how this relationship is manifested and can be optimized in the digital era.

Understanding Kerygma: The Core of Christian Faith Proclamation

Kerygma, derived from the Greek κήρυγμα (kērygma), theologically refers to the proclamation or proclamation of the core of the Christian faith. Kerygma is not just ordinary information or news; it is the central message of salvation in Jesus Christ. In the Christian tradition, the kerygma often includes key elements such as:

• The Proclamation of Jesus Christ: Announcing Jesus’ identity as the Messiah, Son of God, and Lord.

• The Death and Resurrection of Christ: Emphasizing Christ’s sacrifice through His death on the cross as the atonement for our sins, and His victory over death through the resurrection.

• The Call to Repentance and Faith: Exhorting the hearer to repent of their sins and to place their faith in Jesus Christ as the way to salvation.

• The Promise of Forgiveness and Eternal Life: Offering the promise of forgiveness of sins and eternal life to those who believe and follow Christ.

The kerygma is the heart of the gospel and the foundation of the church’s mission to proclaim the good news to the world. Traditionally, the kerygma has been communicated through preaching, teaching, and oral testimony. However, in the digital age, the landscape of kerygma communication has undergone significant expansion and transformation.

PWGI: Bridge between Journalism and Christian Values

The Indonesian Church Journalists Association (PWGI) is an organization that brings together journalists who have a cross-denominational church background and adhere to Christian values. PWGI has an important role in:

Promoting Ethical Journalism: Encouraging journalism practices that uphold truth, justice, honesty, and responsibility, which are in line with Christian ethical values.

Voicing Religious and Humanitarian Issues: Paying special attention to issues related to religious life, humanitarian values, social justice, peace, and harmony, from a Christian perspective.

Building a Christian Journalist Network: Facilitating networking and solidarity between Christian journalists in Indonesia to support each other and grow in professionalism and faith.

Becoming a Partner of the Church and Society: Collaborating with churches and community organizations in voicing positive values and building a better national life.

The Relationship between PWGI and the Function of Kerygma in the Digital Era:

In the digital era, PWGI has a unique opportunity to expand the reach and effectiveness of conveying the kerygma through various digital media platforms. The relationship between PWGI and the function of the kerygma in the digital era can be seen from several aspects:

Digital Platforms as an Arena for Proclamation: The internet, social media, online news websites, podcasts, and video streaming have become new arenas for conveying the kerygma. PWGI can utilize these platforms to convey Christian values, inspiring stories, and messages of peace to a wider audience, including the younger generation who are very active in the digital world.

Journalism as a Means of Kerygma: Journalistic works produced by PWGI members can function as a means of kerygma. News articles, opinions, features, photos, and videos created with integrity, honesty, and a Christian perspective can convey the values of the Gospel implicitly or explicitly to readers and viewers.

Countering Disinformation and Hate Speech: In the digital era, false information (hoaxes) and hate speech often spread quickly and massively. PWGI has an important role to play in countering disinformation and negative narratives by presenting true, accurate, and balanced news, as well as promoting messages of peace, love, and reconciliation in the digital space. Kerygma is the moral foundation in countering the darkness of information.

Building a Positive Online Community: PWGI can build a positive online community through social media and other digital platforms. This community can be a place to share Christian values, discuss religious and social issues, support each other, and strengthen faith amidst the challenges of the digital world.

Innovation in Messaging: The digital era opens up opportunities for innovation in delivering kerygma messages. PWGI can experiment with creative and engaging digital content formats, such as short videos, infographics, positive memes, animations, inspirational podcasts, and other interactive content to reach a wider and more diverse audience.

Challenges and Opportunities for PWGI in Digital Kerygma:

Despite the great opportunities, PWGI also faces challenges in carrying out its kerygma function in the digital era:

Challenges:

Competition for Attention: The digital space is very full of information and entertainment. PWGI needs to fight to get the attention of the audience amidst the fierce competition.

Social Media Algorithms: Social media algorithms can limit the reach of content. PWGI needs to understand how algorithms work and develop effective content strategies to increase visibility.

Polarization and Hate Speech: The digital space is often colored by polarization and hate speech. PWGI needs to navigate these challenges wisely and remain focused on delivering a message of peace and love.

Maintaining Journalistic Integrity and Christian Values: PWGI must maintain a balance between conveying the kerygma message and maintaining journalistic integrity and Christian values. The proclamation of faith must not sacrifice the principles of objective, accurate, and balanced journalism.

Opportunities:

Global Reach: Digital media allows PWGI to reach a global audience without geographical limitations. The kerygma can be distributed to various parts of the world via the internet.

Interactivity and Engagement: Digital platforms allow for greater interaction and engagement with the audience. PWGI can build dialogue, receive feedback, and build closer relationships with readers and viewers.

Message Personalization: Digital technology allows for the personalization of the kerygma message according to the needs and interests of different audiences.

Collaboration and Networking: Digital media facilitates collaboration with church organizations, religious institutions, and individuals in various places to strengthen efforts to convey the kerygma.

The Indonesian Church Journalists Association (PWGI) has an increasingly important role in the digital era in voicing the kerygma, the good news of the Christian faith. By utilizing digital platforms wisely and strategically, PWGI can expand the reach of its reporting, build positive online communities, fight disinformation, and innovate in delivering messages of peace and love.

There are challenges, but the opportunities are enormous. Hopefully, PWGI will continue to be an agent of positive change in the world of digital media, bringing light and hope to many people through journalism with integrity and based on Christian values. Digital kerygma is PWGI’s calling in this era, a calling to proclaim the truth and love of Christ amidst the hustle and bustle of cyberspace.