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| Tommy Green conducts a Zoom meeting from his office at the Florida Baptist Convention building in Jacksonville, Fla. |
Facebook timelines changed forever on Sunday, March 15, 2020.
Many if not most churches opted to go digital-only that day after witnessing such steps as President Trump declaring COVID-19 a national emergency and professional and collegiate sports suspending activities. As church leaders looked to make services available for members, Facebook scrambled to keep up with the increased demand, which was created in large part by those congregations livestreaming on the social media platform.
The following weeks brought a sink-or-swim time for churches regarding technology. Those not using it before had to learn – quickly. Offering plates were traded for giving through an app. Living room couches became pews. Laptops at the kitchen table hosted Sunday school classes, prayer group gatherings and church staff meetings. The word “zoom” – up to then classified as a verb – became a noun (“Let’s meet on Zoom”) and then a verb again, as in “We’re going to Zoom Sunday night.”
Of the seismic changes brought by COVID-19, the expansion of online platforms for churches is perhaps the biggest. With Barna Research showing that just 3 percent of churches remained open as usual in late March 2020, finding other options to meet became paramount.
One year later COVID cases are on the decline, and people are venturing out from their homes more often. Yet, even as the number of churchgoers attending in-person has continued to rise, leaders are quick to say that the need for an online presence isn’t going anywhere. Read More
Image Credit: Florida Baptist Convention
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