Since 1965, the Nashville-based preacher has donated his ministerial earnings to building new churches and preaching the gospel. Some 34 years and 12 churches after entering the ministry, Champion has discovered the shining light of e-commerce. He cobbled together Baptist.org, a Net-based clearinghouse for thousands of loosely affiliated Baptist churches. The Christian Broadcasting Network, which attracts more than 600,000 daily viewers to its 700 Club program, sells computers, software and books on CBN.org. The site also accepts prayer requests and donations.
Plans are also in the works to offer a CFN-branded computer.
It's just the latest twist on an old story, says Ken Lubeck, CBN.org business manager. He contends that since congregants are spending anyway, it might as well benefit their brethren. Online religious commerce is serious business. CBN.org gets more than half a million visitors a month. The Promise Keepers site logs 70,000 monthly visitors.