Online Church “Community” and The Great Commission in a COVID-19-Defined Society: An Anthropological and Missiological Analysis

Abstract:

The traditional way of conducting church service is being challenged in the face of the COVID-19 global pandemic. This essay ponders the reality of worship as a digitally mediated experience and its effect on the church's mission. The church’s adaptability to current trends is crucial to its survival and relevance, especially under present realities. The online church community is not a new phenomenon in ecclesiology, but one that has become urgent to embrace and adopt because of the prevailing circumstances. The internet and online worship services present both opportunities and challenges for “mission.” For effective online ministry, the mission should be culturally relevant and biblically faithful. Therefore, the church will need to explore utilizing anthropological tools in its missiological praxis. This study draws on ethnographic observation and analysis of three different online church communities and interrogates how these churches fulfil the Great Commission. The authors contend that the church should let the two sides of the Great Commission, scope and substance, inform their missiological practices online using the relevant anthropological tools. The study contributes to the ongoing scholarly discussions on digital ecclesiology: its nature, challenges, strategies and prospects.