Godtube.com puts Christian worship online

Entrepreneur Chris Wyatt draws millions to GodTube.com, a website with Christian content that features prayer walls, video clips, and social networking.

from the February 6, 2008 edition

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"They say, 'Someone will stumble upon us and be converted to Christianity,' but sociological studies suggest otherwise," says Dr. Clark. "It's through social networks – friends, family, marriage, even prison – that people adopt beliefs." In that sense GodTube is like televangelism, says Clark, because it's more likely to reinforce people's beliefs than to change them.

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Comedian Michael Right, who goes by the stage name Michael Jr. and typically performs at nightclubs and churches, is one who uses GodTube. He has posted a few performances online. Mr. Right doesn't preach in his act but hopes to "bring levity" to the audience. "GodTube shows how thirsty Christians are for good content," he says. "There's so much negative stuff on YouTube that you almost have to be shocking to get some attention."

Chris Bradley wasn't aiming to shock, either. But he's an atheist – a rare breed on GodTube – and wanted to explain that atheists aren't by definition unkind and immoral. Mr. Bradley posted a few videos and received mostly polite replies. But then one day, his posted video about the relationships between religious leaders (including Jesus and Muhammad) and their governments wasn't uploaded. He hasn't tried GodTube since.

For now, GodTube has yet to turn a profit. Its investors, according to Wyatt, are "high networth [people] who happen to be Christian." Additionally, 50 of the groups that have put up videos on the website – Christian colleges, medical companies, singers, authors, and others – are in a partnership with GodTube for a few years. GodTube posts their videos (and collects advertising revenue), and in return, those groups have a page on the site where they can solicit donations, sell products, and collect e-mail addresses for their mailing lists.

Although other Christian websites exist, like MyChurch and Conservapedia, there isn't a Christian video site like GodTube. Currently, says Wyatt, GodTube's competition is chiefly MySpace, Facebook, and YouTube. Those sites "are great for what they are," he says, "but it's not the forum to discuss religious material. I don't think you want to hold a theological discussion on a website that has objectionable content."

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