Virtual Worship in the Full Gospel Church: Examining the Impact of COVID-19 on Sunday Services in the Thohoyandou District
The COVID-19 pandemic introduced profound disruptions to religious practices globally, including within Pentecostal communities. This study will investigate the specific challenges faced by the Full Gospel Church (FGC) in the Thohoyandou District, where Sunday worship shifted from traditional, in-person gatherings to virtual services during the pandemic. The problem to be addressed in this research is the significant impact that this sudden shift has on the church's worship experience, congregational participation, spiritual engagement, and community cohesion. Many congregants, especially those in rural areas with limited technological access, struggled with this transition, raising concerns about inclusivity, spiritual fulfilment, and the long-term sustainability of virtual worship. It explores how popular social networks and digital tools were used to keep the community spirit of the church alive, including spiritual bonds, during the pandemic. This study is important in adding to the literature-in-motion on how COVID-19 has influenced religious life and practice, especially in Pentecostal rural contexts. Such findings would be informative for church leaders and religious communities in terms of virtual worship integration into practice, even beyond times of crisis. This study pursues the dynamics of spiritual expression, communal engagement, and how worship in the digital practice is sustained through qualitative means. The study will be a qualitative approach. Semi-structured interviews with church leaders and congregants will be carried out first to gain insight into experiences and perceptions of virtual worship. The study gives practical recommendations that might be helpful for other religious groups at similar junctures of change in their virtual worship experiences. Thus, this will place the study in the position of hopefully indicating the potentiality of digital platforms for maintaining spiritual communities in the face of unexpected challenges and ensuring continuity in worship.
Congregational Engagement, COVID-19, Digital Transformation, Pentecostal Church, Virtual Worship, UCTD
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