Flyn Ritchie leads Christian Info Society.

As Christian Info Society (CIS) marks a quarter century, BCCN founding editor Lloyd Mackey provides some perspective on the ministry’s past and future.

Studies consistently show that a strong majority of Canadians retain values and beliefs consistent with Christianity. This is often not well understood by the popular media, leaving Christians and faith-based issues sadly under-reported or misrepresented.

Christian Info Society has a sought to address issues faithfully from a Christian perspective for the past 25 years.  

 Passion for unity

Publisher and editorial director Flyn Ritchie characterizes CIS as a “pioneer” in featuring the arts and linking faith to social, cultural and political issues.

Underlying everything at CIS is a devotion to linking Christians, providing a voice in favour of unity in the body of Christ.

Each month BC Christian News focuses on a different municipality, encouraging unity and networking between churches and ministries.

To demonstrate the impact God has on individual lives, BCCN’s regular page three testimony presents a self-contained story about one person’s journey to faith in Jesus, and the impact that pilgrimage has made on the person and his or her relationships.

“Every month we receive inquiries from readers wanting to know more about the Christian faith” says Ritchie.

“We respond by sending copies of a Canadian Bible Society New Testament, and Who is Jesus? by Nicky Gumbel, founder of the Alpha movement.”

Ten years of national growth

Ten years ago, when the newspaper associated with Christian Info Society was renamed BC Christian News, some other transitions were occurring more quietly.

Publications that had been supplements or special sections in the newspaper were emerging with titles of their own.

Two such were Mission Fields and Christian Higher Education – now known as In the World and Options.

In the World profiles Canadians who are changing the world through their faith-based initiatives.

Options reflects the burgeoning development of Canadian post-secondary institutions which are distinctly Christian.

Under the leadership of Steve Almond, publisher during the late 1990s and early 2000s, these publications became strong communication vehicles, utilizing a distribution system to churches across Canada – and often tying in with mission festivals and college fairs in major cities.

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Almond also oversaw the development of church and business directories; the church directories were eventually moved from printed form and are now a component of  the CIS website, canadianchristianity.com.  Annual Christian Marketpages were phased out this year in favour of Shepherd’s Guides, which CIS has produced on Vancouver Island and in Metro Vancouver, with plans to add the Okanagan next year.

Mel Newth, president of IN Network, a global church planting and development ministry, and a former real estate executive, was board chair of CIS during most of the past decade.

He watched – and nurtured – this “vision that we were not just Lower Mainland or British Columbia, but had a national role to play.” And, he adds, “the team was adept at embracing new technologies. We have been . . . blessed with a fantastic and dedicated staff.”

Originally trained as an accountant, Newth kept watch over the stabilizing of CIS’ financial position.

As a charity striving to operate in a businesslike fashion, while providing a needed communication service to the Christian community, the ministry has had some special challenges.

Province–wide vision

“Today, we are in sound shape financially,” he points out, suggesting that the board was able to endorse the strategic thrusts which would move CIS into a place of province-wide, then national significance.

Maintaining and sustaining province-wide significance, particularly for the newspaper, has been challenging at times. Early in its history, CIS had helped out in the development of newspapers both on Vancouver Island and in the Okanagan Valley.

The Island paper, operating latterly under the title of Sunday Magazine (SM), was very strong at times – and struggled at others. Two years ago, SM closed and CIS embarked on Island distribution, supplementing BCCN with an Island Insight insert. And, earlier this fall, after being out of the Interior  for several years, BCCN reembarked on distribution there, with a Thompson-Okanagan Outlook insert.

Web–based innovation

Since launching  version 2.0 of canadianchristianity.com this year, with innovative digital versions of all print media and consistent national reporting, traffic has increased.

At this stage, a small percentage of the total advertising content goes onto the web; but the site has considerable potential for growth.

Jeffrey Lowe – a lawyer who took over as board chair a few months ago, is enthusiastic. “You can reach people around the world,” he emphasizes. “Compare 200,000 visitors to canadianchristianity.com each month to a monthly print circulation of 35,000 for BC Christian News.”

He is careful, however, not to consign the newspaper to history. “It will always have its core role,” he affirms.

Lowe believes there is an important role for Christian journalism in helping to ensure that important social issues, faith-based stories and Christian values not be ignored, distorted or misunderstood.

December 2007