Christians Shouldn’t Avoid Tech. We Should Dominate It.

I’ve seen the tech industry up close. I spent nearly 15 years helping build venture-backed companies. Along the way, I had the privilege of working closely with many of the leading investors and builders in the space. I got a front-row seat to where technology was headed—what it could do, and who was shaping it.

And as a Christian, that vantage point left me deeply concerned.

I worked in a world that was almost entirely divorced from faith. Silicon Valley is the beating heart of secularism in America, and it shows. There’s little-to-no concern for human flourishing, individual dignity, and people’s innate need for community and mission in life. As for salvation? Hardly anyone in tech has ever thought about using their work to reflect and spread the Gospel. How could they, when they’ve never heard the Gospel themselves?

This lack of faith has given rise to deeply concerning platforms and products. TikTok is famously a vehicle for Chinese communist spying and manipulation. FTX—the bankrupt cryptocurrency exchange—was predicated on massive fraud. A particularly heartbreaking example is Roblox, where child exploitation is rampant.

Clearly, tech needs the purifying message of Jesus Christ. But hardly any Christians want to deliver that message. They don’t want to be involved in tech’s development. They assume the industry is too stained, too sinful, just too far gone. Better to steer clear.

This lack of Christian courage is far more terrifying than anything I saw coming out of Silicon Valley.

As Christians, we are called to witness in every sphere of human activity. That includes the world of innovation, and throughout history, Christians have frequently played the decisive role. Johannes Gutenberg developed the printing press because of his faith. Isaac Newton’s love for God led him to numerous breakthroughs in physics, mathematics, and astronomy. In America in particular, Christians have a long and proud history of founding businesses and transforming society for the better.

Tech should not be any different. Yet Christians largely view it differently. Artificial intelligence is a case in point. Barely 28% of Christians say it can do positive things in the world. But that’s only true if Christians aren’t deeply involved in AI’s development. Artificial intelligence, like every technology going back to the wheel, is morally neutral. But it can be directed in morally right or wrong ways. Someone will direct it. If it’s not a Christian, it will be a non-Christian. Or an anti-Christian.

Biblical principles make the best business principles. The tech industry urgently needs a lot more Biblically minded people both working and investing in it. Right now, it’s estimated that secular venture firms manage about $1.25 trillion worth of assets in tech while faith-driven venture capitalists only manage about $1.5 billion. That’s a potential 83,233% difference. Closing that gap is a moral imperative.

That is why I believe God called me out of that VC environment. To bring Biblical principles into tech. To help more Christians bring redemption to the most cutting-edge innovations of our time.

Far from leaving the industry, I’m working with other Christians to shape tech through the Tebow Group and the WaterStone Impact Fund. We find and fund faith-led founders, helping them compete with the biggest secular brands. We want these founders to succeed by building products and services that reflect the faith, lift up the vulnerable, and defend the defenseless. We want their success to inspire the rest of the industry to follow their lead—and do what’s right and just.

We envision a tech industry that’s dominated by Christians and a Christian worldview. To be clear, that vision is nowhere close to being achieved. But it can be achieved—and it must be achieved. It will happen as more Christians step up as founders, developers, and funders. It will happen as more Christians come out of the shadows and say: I’m unapologetic about my faith—and I’m equally unapologetic about building tech that reflects my faith.

We know that Christians can drive this kind of systemic change. The Bible proves it.

In Acts, the Apostles confronted a world that had never heard of Jesus Christ. They knew that spreading the Gospel would define the rest of their lives. They knew it would likely cost their lives. But they did it anyway, fanning out across the Roman Empire and the wider world. They put their trust in the Holy Spirit, who guided their steps—and the faith to victory.

This is our “Acts Moment” in technology. Now it’s up to Christians to meet this moment, Romans 8:11 says the same Spirit that rose Jesus from the dead now lives in us. In that same confidence we know the Holy Spirit still works through those who believe and lead.

Joel Chakra is COO of the Tebow Group and Managing Partner at the WaterStone Impact Fund.