A national media campaign to promote the authority of the Bible began running commercials on Fox News, FoxNews.com and MSNBC.com on Monday.
The “I Am Not Ashamed” campaign, organized by apologetics ministry Answers in Genesis, will run commercials from March 1 to April 25 featuring individuals from different backgrounds, nationalities, ages and cultures saying they are not ashamed of the Gospel.
Organizers hope to convey the message that despite physical differences, people around the world hold in common a respect and appreciation for the relevance of God’s word in today’s world.
A print ad campaign will also run in USA Today during that period. The print ad will quote specific Bible verses that address hot-button issues today. Issues that will be addressed include abortion, marriage and religion in the public square.
Local churches are also encouraged to join the campaign by sponsoring billboards in their area that include the link to the I Am Not Ashamed website.
The various ads all point viewers to the campaign website iamnotashamed.org where people can upload videos of themselves reading or quoting the Bible. One of the main goals of the campaign is to call on Christians to join the world’s first online video Bible.
The theme of the campaign, “I Am Not Ashamed,” is inspired by the verses found in Romans 1:16: “I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes; first for the Jews, then for the Gentile.”
Organizers said they felt this is the message that America most needs to hear right now.
Notably, the theme of the newly launched video Bible campaign is reminiscent of the message that evangelist Franklin Graham gave at the beginning of this year. Graham began 2010 by declaring he is not ashamed of the Gospel and predicted there would be greater obstacles for Christians who want to share their faith.
“I am not afraid or ashamed of the Gospel,” Graham wrote in a commentary posted on the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association website in January. “We will proclaim the Gospel of Christ’s sacrificial death for sin and His triumphant resurrection as long as we have breath.”
Earlier this year, the BGEA and Christianity.com launched an “I am a Christian” campaign that calls on believers to declare their faith in Jesus Christ “in a time when God’s truth is being attacked on all sides.”
Social media tools such as Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and blogs are also being used to attract participation in the “I am not Ashamed” campaign, and to a lesser extent, in the “I am a Christian” campaign.
