On 28 October 2026, I gave the following opening reflection at the meeting of the WACC Europe Regional Executive Committee (REC), held from 28 to 29 October. As we gathered to plan WACC’s work for communication justice, I reflected on what it means to bear witness in an increasingly digital world shaped by artificial intelligence.
Opening
Today, we are meeting as the WACC Europe Regional Executive Committee. We are here to plan WACC’s work as the Alliance for Communication Justice.
Before we begin our meeting, I would like to share a reflection with you—some thoughts on a saying of Jesus:
But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.
Acts 1:8 (NIV)
“You Will Be My Witnesses”
Not:
You will produce the best content or hold the best webinars.
Not:
You will beat the algorithm.
But:
You will be my witnesses.
Bearing witness is more than providing information.
It means standing behind what we say with our own lives.
For me, this is an important thought when we reflect on communication and our work for communication justice.
“To the Ends of the Earth” – Today, Also Digitally
Jesus says: “to the ends of the earth.”
Christians have always gone to where people live.
And today, people also live in digital spaces.
They communicate there. They seek guidance. They ask life’s big questions. They ask about faith, God, and meaning.
The digital world is not a separate world alongside the “real” world.
It is part of the reality of our lives.
And therefore, it is also a place where we are called to bear witness.
Engaging with This World
As Christians, we know that this world is not perfect. It is marked by sin. It is a place where people are marginalized by tech companies and discriminated against because of biases.
But our response is not to withdraw from the world.
We have been placed in this world. We take responsibility for it. We help shape it.
That is why we must also understand how digital communication works.
This applies to social media and digital platforms.
And it applies to artificial intelligence.
Not so that algorithms determine what we say or what we hear.
But so that we understand how we can communicate the Gospel in today’s world.
A Thought for Our Work
Whatever we discuss today:
Technology can help us.
Artificial intelligence can help us.
Digital platforms can help us.
But there is one thing they cannot do for us:
They cannot bear witness in our place.
Especially in an increasingly digital world shaped by AI, authenticity, credibility, and the human voice become more important.
Perhaps, then, one question could guide us throughout our meeting and our commitment to advance communication justice:
How can we be witnesses in a digital world?
Jesus says:
“You will be my witnesses.”
To the ends of the earth.
And that includes the digital world.
Background
This opening reflection draws on my article “Bearing Witness in the Age of AI: The Church as a Trusted Source and Human Voice,” published in INSiGHT 3/2026, pp. 34–39, by the Council for World Mission. A revised German version, “Zeugen sein in einer von KI geprägten Welt: Die Kirche als vertrauenswürdige Quelle und menschliche Stimme,” was published on TheoNet on 18 September 2026.
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