Digital Ministry: The Online Fellowship During the COVID-19 Pandemics

Abstract

Indonesian churches closed their Sunday Services during the imposition of a lockdown. One of the oldest churches in Bandung was the object of research on how they communicate with its congregation in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic. However, many Indonesian churches have limited knowledge and experience on live broadcasting Sunday services, they are slowly filling up YouTube channels. Congregations are free to choose the worship they like, not only the worship that is broadcast from their own church. The congregation does not need to dress neatly when worshiping, even they are not always carried out in conjunction with the live broadcast services. Using the case study of the Indonesian Christian Church known as GKI Bandung, this article supports the global village concept from Marshall McLuhan, that Christian congregations in the world are reuniting not in church buildings but in digital media. Even though they did not meet physically, but all of those Christian families are connected for the Sunday service via live streaming.

Keywords: Christian, church, COVID-19, digital ministry, livestream