5 Minutes with Scott Parkinson
By: Amy Parkinson

There is no doubt that Myspace has been making a lot of headlines as of late. Because of all the bad publicity going through the media about it, we recently sat down with Scott Parkinson , President of PanicRev Ministries, to get his thoughts and reasoning behind starting a PanicRev Ministries profile on the controversial Myspace website.

PRev: Why has PanicRev decided to venture into the world of Myspace?

SP: Well, I think that PanicRev is a ministry called to minister to people where they are in life and reach those that have yet to know Christ. Myspace is a website set up for people to connect and build relationships; we are there to prayerfully evangelize and minister through some of the relationships.

PRev: You just touched on this; however, what does Myspace offer that the PanicRev.org website is not fulfilling?

SP: It seems like everyone has a Myspace right now. Myspace opens up doors that we would never otherwise be able to get through. It is one thing to go out and minister at the local tracks, but through Myspace we are now connected to people all over the country and even the world. Myspace has helped us grow and reach out to people we may not have otherwise connected with.

PRev: With a greater audience you also get a greater worldly influence; don't you agree?

SP: I don't know. I think the Bible tells us that we are to be in this world yet not of it. No matter what we do or where we go, we can't escape this world. I just hope that as we, Christians, walk through this word we are influencing others positively and not being influenced negatively by some of the worldly ideas that are out there. I hope we are able to live a Christ-like example and are able to reflect Christ in a way that others are able to see Him.

PRev: How concerned are you about some of the other content, whether it is ads, people or otherwise? How concerned are you about how that content will affect other Christians, especially new Christians?

SP: As far as the content goes, I am very concerned about some of the content and profiles on Myspace. So as far as that goes I would never tell anyone they should go out and join Myspace; rather, we created it to reach some of the people who are already there. Without a doubt there is trash on Myspace, and if someone out there is going to join it, they definitely need to find some sort of accountability. I do, however, see Myspace as a mission field full of people with a lot of needs. I think as Christians we do a large disservice when we turn from people rather than turning towards them with love.

PRev: How can people find PanicRev on Myspace?

SP: You can go directly to our Myspace page by going to www.myspace.com/panicrev or you can do a search for “PanicRev” and we should come up.

PRev: If people do a search for you guys and other profiles also come up, how will they know they are on the right profile?

SP: When you go to the profile make sure you see the PanicRev Ministries logo and make sure it is a site without questionable content.

PRev: Is there anything on the PanicRev Myspace that is not on the PanicRev website?

SP: Yes, we have some stuff on there that is not on the PanicRev website itself. We have some logos and codes on there that people can use to place PanicRev graphics on their profiles. We really want to empower others to witness and share their faith in Christ and placing a PanicRev graphic on their profile is an easy way to do that. Not only are they able to make a statement of their faith but many times they are able to open a door of conversation about their faith … and about what PanicRev is all about—Serving and sharing Christ.