Editor's Note
This Lausanne Occasional Paper is accompanied by a video introduction from the author, offering insights into the key themes and context of the paper. It is part of the Theological Foundation Papers collection, which provides a biblical and theological framework for key questions and trends from the State of the Great Commission Report .
Framing the Question
Technology has changed our world in the last century, even since the first Lausanne gathering in 1974, continuing through the last one in 2010. Even though the world has exponentially increased in its population, we are more tightly connected than we have ever been. Technology has made a significant difference in our lives, impacting many areas.
This was especially seen during the recent pandemic, as both the world and the church experienced many challenges. Imagine how much more painful the pandemic would have been had we not had technological connection and innovation. And while technology can be a challenge to forging genuine relationships and connection, in certain situations, it can be a helpful alternative to face to face interaction. That is the variegated thesis of this chapter as we think about ministry in a Digital Age.
The church can be viewed in two ways: first, as the universal church composed of those who never are gathered together but exist in the world, sharing their connection in Christ; and second, as local communities, who meet regularly and normally, face to face, in person.
When Digital Works
In the last several years, churches have been gathering through various means: some meet exclusively online, while others meet in a hybrid fashion,meeting virtually through avatars. Most churches, however, seem to have adopted an approach where some are in person, sitting in the church, while others join via a video live-feed.
There may be numerous reasons why people choose to worship digitally via online platforms: sickness, persecution, missionary connection, and travel, etc. For those that are sick and homebound, online worship allows them to receive the benefits of their church’s teaching ministry. For those traveling, they can still be aware of what’s happening in their church by tuning in online. What about missionaries? Those who are spread across the globe, often unable to worship in their heart language, can find much comfort and peace by participating in worship online. And for Christians who reside in places where it is dangerous to be a Christian, let alone be involved in public worship, they can experience the blessing of worshiping God with other believers through digital means. In this latter case, gathering in a virtual format using avatars allows for identity protection, ensuring safety and freedom.
In addition to these ways where digital “works,” having online access to worship services can aid the newly relocated church member. Having moved, the church member may want to maintain a close ties to their previous church family while also searching for a new church. One of the challenges of moving to a new location is finding a new community of friends and connections. So, having digital options can be a way to view and assess possibilities in the new town.
Furthermore, for those that are learning about Christianity and would like to experience a worship service, digital options provide a risk-free opportunity to explore. This “evangelistic” use of digital media can be seen as part of going into the world to seek and save the lost. There is the hope that some of these viewers might be encouraged to “taste and see” what walking with God entails.
In all of the above, it is clear that online presence can allow a person to receive the benefits of being in a church community and share in the ethos of the worship experience. The lack of such options can leave these people disconnected from the local church community or even the opportunity to understand faith. How should we think about this digital option theologically?
Assessing Advantages and Limitations of Digital
Having a digital relationship to a church can be analogous to the relationship a believer has to the universal church and to a local church. As such, there are both advantages and limitations.
Digital communication has two key properties: it conveys content and it does so over distance. Online church not only delivers content but also presents an event and form of experience taking place in the church, namely, the worship and teaching that make up a service. What it does less well is deliver the relational and interactive elements that are a part of face-to-face presence and connection.
Sometimes, virtual platforms attempt to address this relational limitation with avatars. Through these digital identities, people are able to chat with one another, hopefully enhancing the experience of connection. This type of virtual experience via an avatar, however, obscures one’s identity. Having a symbolic or mediated presence works less well in group settings than being face to face. Furthermore, chatting online is a very limited form of interaction. There is something less than a full incarnation of being human in these mediated forms of experience. In the four cases noted earlier, and even in the two additional scenarios, this is not the fault of anyone but simply the nature of the digital space and the limits of that technology.
Thinking about the reality of having a spiritual dimension also offers a way to approach this discussion. When the Samaritan woman asked on which mountain she ought to worship God, her focus was on a singular locale. Jesus responded by saying God is to be worshiped in spirit and in truth. So, from this, one might conclude that since online worship connects us both in spirit and with the truth, it is a legitimate way to gather. Thus, it is an acceptable way to worship God, though it may not be an ideal way to build community and share accountability.
Take, for example, the difference between communicating live in person, or via text, phone, or even video. When one uses phone and video, it allows you to see emotions or hear inflections that a written text cannot provide. So, when sensitive issues are being discussed, most of us choose to have a live conversation and perhaps, if needed, a video or phone call. But when we opt to text someone, we often do so because it is not only convenient, but it is also a way to create distance from the other. It can be a form of shield or wall against awkward or uncomfortable issues we don’t want to experience.
This raises other problems with the use of technology. Some choose to be online (1) to make our lives more convenient, (2) to use our distance as a shield to not get too close to others, or, (3) to avoid contributing to the community.
We may want to worship and be taught, but we are less inclined to engage with others in community. We worship as an independent agent whose only goal in joining is to take from the church and not give back to it.
When this takes place, technology is not the problem, we are. In this situation, technology serves as a means to an end that distances the individual. Being virtually together does not necessarily yield true community. Digital presence can allow for some positive experiences, but there are many limitations. The real issue is understanding why we use technology, not technology itself. To blame technology for this is to miss what we bring to the equation.
Conclusion: A Call to Be Discerning
We need to be discerning, then, in understanding why and how we use technology as a community. The choice not to use it may cut off people who may need what it provides, even in its limited way. And while technology may open up the possibility that some may use it for less-than-ideal reasons, there are enough good reasons for its existence. The church must do better to think about what online services are for and what they are not for.
Technology is with us to stay. Most churches, even those who ramped up to survive the pandemic, are now asking what they should do with the digital equipment they invested in during that challenging time. This chapter suggests that “being together digitally” is both an opportunity to serve those who are not able to be physically present while also a danger if its threats are not recognized. Being discerning about the careful use of technology and the ways it can prevent growth in discipleship can provide guidance to utilize it without allowing its presence to undercut the relational work of the church that is so central to effective discipleship.
