Crossway Provides Christian-Friendly Internet Service

May 13, 2004 08:10 AM EDT

Crossway Christian ISP has been established as America's first Christian internet service provider. The service comes with free web filtering, and a user customizable Christian portal.

Launched in October 2003, Crossway Christian ISP (CC ISP) has setup over 27,000 dial-up locations, more than AOL, Earthlink, and MSN combined. Crossway has the mission of providing internet service that is suitable for conservative Christian families.

On the home page of the ministry’s site, a visitor will run across the statement: "Christian AOL users - why are you paying more for AOL's secular service which promotes all manner of evils you object to as a Christian?" The online environment can be an unfriendly one, especially to a conservative Christian family. CC ISP's philosophy is to support Christians first. Following this principle, CC ISP provides a service where users will gain more control over what they actually see on the screen through web filtering and the implementation of a Christian portal. The portal can be personalized to block content that is of no interest and to add ones which are.

CC ISP is part of Crossway Online Ministries' 1net Total Web Presence Solutions services. CC ISP declares that it is a ministry rather than a business, with 3 specific goals:

Evangelism of non-Christians through the implementation of uncompromising but grace-filled precepts of evangelism to spread the Good News of Jesus.

Revival in the church and Christian community through a conservative approach to bible study and online bible resources, devotionals, forums etc.

Good stewardship of Christian resources in the furtherance of the Support Christians First!(c) policy to encourage low cost solutions for the Christian to Christian market.

Rev. Stoneking, owner of CC ISP, says, “Crossway Christian ISP and Christian Resource Center is a relatively new ministry of Crossway Online Ministries. For years we have personally searched for a Christian ISP who supported Christian values instead of being forced to endure objectionable content and objectionable resources just to have Internet service.” He continues, “We were blessed to have the funding provided to start this ISP service as a ministry in 2003. We invested in the resources needed to provide Christian ISP services to as much of the United States as possible. We are especially privileged to have nationwide service to reach the more rural communities where ISP services in the past were poor or non-existent."