No Place For Urban Minded Christians Until Now

Dec 13, 2007

PHILADELPHIA, PA -- Millions of Christians visit YouTube even though many would rather not see (or have their kids see) some of what they're apt to run into on the way to view their favorite Christian videos. Many would like to participate in an online video sharing community that is openly Christian like GodTube, but have yet to find one with an urban vibe. Still others see YouTube as a fertile mission field for spreading the Gospel through the site's ability to make Christian videos readily accessible to non-believers. The popularity of YouTube has also sparked the creation of many sites that target young internet users directly with morally questionable content.

According to founder Chris Grant, video sharing site repHIM.com is building an online community that embraces and emphasizes Biblically sound doctrine through video sharing in a culturally relevant mix. Launched in October, 2007, repHIM.com plans to host a range of Christian content including apologetics, music videos and comedy. It's also the first video sharing site to be geared primarily toward African American Christians. Grant's background includes time as a Sales & Marketing rep for EMI Christian Music Group and his current position as VP of Marketing for Cross Movement Records. Both experiences he says inspired him to create a site where sound theology and cultural relevance meet in the context of people's lives.

To that end, repHIM.com features content from urban minded Christians (not exclusively African-American) demonstrating belief that impacts behavior in every aspect of life. Members are invited to upload and share their culturally relevant experience with Christ as inspiration for others to enter into a personal relationship with HIM, and to live a life of evident discipleship.

In an interview with ABC Nightline News, GodTube founder and CEO Chris Wyatt says, "We apply Web technology to the gospel in a way that appeals to young people…", however those influenced by urban culture don't appear to have much of a presence on the site. "By and large, non-Christians don't seem to visit YouTube to search for Christian content, though Christians need to maintain a presence there," says Grant. His vision for repHIM.com is to provide a video sharing platform for urban Christian content and sound apologetics that targets the largely under served niche of African American Christians online.

repHIM.com's goal is to encourage urban Christians to positively impact family, friends, co-workers and complete strangers with the relevant truth of Christ by clipping and soundbiting the way they live. "Video sharing certainly has great potential for vitally impacting the culture on a scale reminiscent of that of the early church," says Grant.

With 50% of Americans and 40% of African Americans opting for high-speed internet connections that make media-rich content readily accessible, Grant's approach to leveraging technology to advance the Gospel is timely, to say the least. Online ventures targeting urban youth in particular were recently launched by hip-hop mogul Russell Simmons and rapper/dancer Stanley Burrell, aka MC Hammer. (www.businessweek.com11/13/07) repHIM.com employs the same cutting edge technology as a platform for reaching urban youth and culture for Christ.

So the next time you upload or share a video on YouTube or another site, consider uploading and sharing on repHIM.com, too. There are urban-minded Christians and other people searching for family friendly content who'd rather skip the moral landmines and check out your clips there.

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Keywords: YouTube, GodTube,Video, Urban,Christian Arts and Entertainment » Internet

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