YWAM International News Release

August 1996

6. U n i t e d S t a t e s :

MERCY SHIPS' "SMOOTH SAILING" SYSTEM WINS TECHNOLOGY AWARD

A COMPUTER SYSTEM streamlining the work of the international Mercy Ships medical missionary fleet has won a major award for technological innovation. The program which coordinates crew movements in the four-strong fleet - which twins free health care with evangelism in developing countries - received a top honor in this year's Computerworld Smithsonian Awards. Mercy Ships won the government and non-profit category of the awards, which honor "the best societal uses of information technology from across the world".

Judges chose the non-profit organization for its donor management system, which tracks the 10,000 contributions and inquiries received each month at its Lindale, TX headquarters, and its homegrown crew data base, which details full-time workers and short-term volunteers on each ship.

The crew program transfers vital computer records of passports, visas, professional experience and travel schedules between land offices and the fleet - whose flagship is the 11,700-ton Anastasis - avoiding itinerary delays because of missing paperwork.

"With a turnover of nearly 1,000 people a year on our four ships, there's a lot of people and information to keep track of, which is needed for the ship's registration, and by customs in the different countries we visit," said Kelvin Burton, Mercy Ships' computer department development manager. The award was presented during a gala dinner last month at the Smithsonian's National Building Museum, in Washington DC, when David Allison - chairman of the National Museum of America's Division of Information Technology and Society - heralded the winners as "truly remarkable in their leadership and innovation".

A record of the Mercy Ships programs is being included in the Smithsonian's permanent research collection, so that "future generations may learn about the information age from the men and women who are creating this current revolution", and also features in a current exhibit in the National Museum of American History.

"We were surprised and delighted to learn we had won the award," said Burton. "We feel that it underlines how modern technology can serve missions, and the opportunities there are for people with these kind of skills to use them in a ministry environment.

"We plan to be involved in more innovation that will enhance our ability to bring hope to people whose lives need to be touched and changed, but we need to see more experienced computer staff catch the vision of serving God in this way."

Visit the Websites of:
Mercy Ships Mercy Ships International
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Last updated: 1996, July 31 /ms