Jack Kinsella founded The Omega Letter - a website that provides news and current events from a Bible Prophecy perspective - in 2001 to address two shortfalls he found with the internet. Since then, the tight-knit online community has evolved into what Kinsella refers to as a "kind of 1st century electronic ‘church’".
"While there are thousands of solid, Bible-believing soul-winning websites out there, the main focus of their efforts was in winning the lost. That’s a very important and laudable goal, but I’m a Christian already, explained Kinsella. "There didn’t seem to be too many websites out there for me. The Omega Letter was therefore designed from the beginning to speak to that vast middle audience of mature believers looking for answers to some of the harder questions of Scripture."
Kinsella also took note that there was a severe lack of 'safe' havens for Christians to network on the web - many believers' forums that he found allowed too much freedom of speech, so users were constantly having to defend their views. By creating a 'gatekeeper' system, Kinsella successfully launched The Omega Letter as a tight-knit and hassle-free online fellowship.
"Every fellowship forum I’d had experience with was eventually ‘overtaken’ by those intent on promoting ‘tolerance’ by imposing their view in the name of ‘diversity’ – whether it is welcomed or not. In addition, Christian fellowship forums are magnets for atheists and scoffers who love to invade such places, pretending to be seekers when what they are seeking is a confrontation for their own amusement," said Kinsella.
"To address both shortfalls, (and to cover expenses) we imposed a $10 per month subscription/membership fee to act as a ‘gatekeeper’. Ten bucks stops the same folks who will resort to all kinds of subterfuge to get around being banned at other forums dead in their tracks."
Now in its ninth year, Kinsella is at no shortage of finding inspiration for his writings through The Omega Letter.
"The inspiration comes from the daily news – Jesus said that as we approached the end of the age, the birth pangs (signs) would increase in both frequency and intensity. I get up every morning at 5 am – when you read it that morning, it’s still warm," said Kinsella. "Back in the 1990’s when I wrote for the television program, 'This Week In Bible Prophecy' it would take us a full week to find and develop enough stories relative to Bible prophecy to fill a half hour broadcast."
Despite the fact that The Omega Letter has found its niche and a way of halting naysayers, Kinsella's blogs do not go without being questioned and criticized, as with any published opinions on the internet.
"I rather enjoy reading most of them," said Kinsella. "If the criticisms are fair, I try to address them as they are raised directly in the relevant forum posting. Many times, the topics they raise become the inspiration for a future Omega Letter."
Since its launch in 2001, The Omega Letter has evolved into an extremely tight-knit community, and Kinsella considers many of its members to be close personal friends. In 2006, Kinsella and his wife departed on a two season "Road Tour" and traveled from state to state hosting regional Omega Letter gatherings. Kinsella has seen many instances of how close The Omega Letter community has truly become.
"One of our members was a retired lady who lives in England. She dropped out of sight for several weeks, before using a friend’s computer to explain her old computer had died. A group of members took up a collection and bought her a new one," explained Kinsella. "Another was suddenly left a widow without insurance. Other members took up a collection to help see her through the hard times, in what I thought was a staggering display of spontaneous generosity. At the time, none of them had ever actually met."
The community of The Omega Letter spreads wide - Kinsella hosted a barbecue last year to celebrate with his readership, and had members in attendance from Florida, Texas, Georgia, California, and even one from Australia.
Kinsella contributed to Cloud Ten Pictures' documentary, Shadow Government, a project that Kinsella says he was "proud to be associated with and honored to be invited to participate".
"I thoroughly enjoyed working on the Shadow Government project. Andre Van Heerden, is an old friend and former colleague from This Week in Bible Prophecy. It was great to work with Andre again – it brought back many fond memories," said Kinsella. "And Grant Jeffrey is another dear friend going back many years. We would often travel up to Grant’s house to put him in front of a camera and get his views on unfolding Bible prophecy for use on the TV program. Grant is a good friend and a brilliant researcher, so it was a joy to participate."
Kinsella's close online network has given believers a resource for answers to their questions, a tool for discussion with like-minded people from around the world, and a true sense of community throughout what they believe to be the last days.
"These are the last days before the Lord’s return. There is little time left to waste. The fields are white with the harvest, the Lord said, but the laborers are few. That is why the Omega Letter exists. To help build an army of one-on-one evangelists equipped to give the answer for the reason of the hope that is in them," said Kinsella. "Hal Lindsey has a little magnet on the fridge in his kitchen that always gives me a chuckle, as well as a sense of purpose. It says, 'Jesus is coming – Quick! Look Busy!'"
