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SOCIAL DISTANCING IMPACTING THE CHURCH ORGANIZATION. An insightful assessment of church leaders impacted by distant worship.

By Rev. Dr. Conrad R. Richards

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SOCIAL DISTANCING IMPACTING THE CHURCH ORGANIZATION 

By: Rev. Dr. Conrad R. Richards Glory Mission, Church Ministry & Publications 

Introduction:

The impact of social distancing has impacted all places were people congregate including churches and schools. Both require an assembly or congregation of people in one place which under the current pandemic health crisis is not possible. One cannot imagine how churches will be conducted the usual rituals and human contact such as handshakes, hugs, communion, and praying with the laying of hands, etc. In schools from kindergartens to higher education also have been impacted especially the younger people who may not be easily managed and follow the social distance criteria. Both churches and education facilities in the traditional sense requires spatial and theatrics for conveyance. As the world is impacted by COVID-19, a virus that is higher contagious have taken almost half a million documented people from around the world. All institutions including churches and schools have been forced to close their doors. However, there are new development in place in certain countries to phase back to an open environment. Pastors and school leaders want to reopen churches and schools to their congregations and students as soon as possible however public health experts tell us that the world is not ready yet. Before people can safely congregate in churches or schools, and other institutions people will need to be tested and possibly vaccinated against the coronavirus with an optimistic guess of year and half away.Social distancing has redirected churches and schools, among other institutions to connect through the internet. Social distancing has directed traditional schools that provides in-classroom activities to online learning supported by Web Base platforms complemented with learning management systems to host student information, course information, and other school operation data. This has been a difficult transition for schools in general, however universities and colleges that offered hybrid traditional and online learning courses or online learning programs exclusively were able to transition to online learning. Second tier schools that were not prepared for online delivery were forced to engage in organizational change. Organizational change involves an organization movement of an organizational state to another impacting leadership, management, operations, processes, functions, and ultimately impacting people. Second tier and third tier school’s faculty and teachers were forced to adopt new teaching methods and adopt new online technologies engage students. Also, it is recognized that technology as substitute to in-person classes will change the direction of education industry to be more streamline and offering more innovative educational options which may impact tradition education moving forward. While education industry adopts online learning how has the Christian ministry, such as churches, evangelical ministries, and Christian assembles have been impacted and what transitional considerations have been taken? 

Church Congregation:

Social distancing in society have impacted Christian ministries and Evangelical ministries to almost a stand still as such organizations rely upon in-person assembly that involves a number of physical interactive exchanges from the introductory greeting, praise and worship, communion, handshakes, and hugs. All church activities are engaging and involves some form of interpersonal exchanges. Organizational change is required to allow churches to continue their operations online. Although organizational changes can be institutes for improvements change can also be in response to environmental factors such as social health consciousness, we all are faced with. Organizational change can also impact an organization with the risk of disruption that may lead to organizational higher costs and decline in performance. How does social distancing impact the congregation? The congregation of most churches may be comprised of different age groups, but the largest group would be those who are middle with families and senior ages. Such church goers enjoy the physical interaction as it provides an opportunity for families to engage together in worship with God, engage in worship with other church members, and engage in a deep internal spiritual experience with God as he moves through the sanctuary. The sanctuary provides a sacred place that separates such spatiality from the rest of the world providing a safe space for spiritual rest away from daily distractions and influences. However, COVID-19, a pandemic that has found its way around the world has claimed almost half million people and still counting. Most churches unlike higher education are not prepared for online church services. In some cases, churches may not have a social media presence, video streaming platform or televise media. At best some churches may just have a website that present churches details, offerings, and church events. This has left many churches members stranded. In some cases, church members may not have internet access nor have the means to access church services online. However, there are pastoral leaders who are adept in social media, video conference, video streaming, and televised churches, and are able to still reach their congregation through Facebook live, Zoom, YouTube, and Instagram, and other streaming platforms. However most aging ministers, pastors, and church leaders are not internet savvy. Church leaders, pastors, and ministers who are willing to learn and to adopt a new approach will have a chance to engage their congregation those who resist change will not survive. Large churches with large operations will be forced to downsize and to restructure their operations adjust for an online presence that does not require the same level of administrative and property assets. Such a shift may impact church membership, loyalty base, and the expected value of the church moving toward online. Some cases the church members may not value the online church service as pastors are struggling to learn a new skill in presenting by looking at a screen able to see their congregation and to be directed by the congregation response. Some church members may require a transition period to adjust to the new norm. Some church member may drift to other churches that have an online presence that is already developed and equipped to present an effective church service. 

Church Substitutes:

The development of the internet over the years have grown to be not just a place of recreational activities but an environment that supports almost all our livelihood— now including online church services. Online church services can be regarded as a substitute to traditional in-person church experiences. Online church services can limit the potential return of the traditional churches by placing a ceiling on tithes and offerings from a distant congregation. Although some church members may be comfortable in submitting their tithes and offerings electronically some may not. Although the technology has advanced tremendously over the last decade many churches have not kept up with such technological advances and are very much on a cash basis. The internet offers many Web Base options, social media, and video streaming options that helps people to network, gain access to educational materials, and information sharing. The advancement of technology has allowed the need for less hardware and equipment, and storage space as data back systems and cloud technology have eliminated the need for such physical items. Although technology offers a wide range of opportunities church leaders will need to educate themselves on the best practices, and to be familiar with system functions, and system modalities, and the effective ways to convey effectively online to their congregation.   

Threat of Church Substitutes:

Change from traditional in-person church services to online church service substitutes will create emerging new churches that offer dynamic televised services that are sophisticated and using innovative technology and graphics to engage their audiences with little capital, land, and property. Such new competitors may erode the traditional loyal church membership. Established churches with a well position brand and congregation of loyal members will have the necessary barriers against new competitors however churches that are considered second tier or third tier is expected to experience higher competition as the introduction of new online churches that are proficient in technology begin to surface. As mentioned, social distancing will persist for some time and as time passes and technology continues to develop such environmental factors will force some churches to downsize their operations.   

Church Online Pastors: 

Pastors as employees or per diems over the years have struggled as their incomes have very often remain just above the poverty line, however as church ministry evolves assuming online technologies as primary delivery will give per diem pastors who travel from church to church a boost their bargaining power if the pastors are trained and prepared for online ministry. Technology expertise will increase value and bargaining power to serve Christian ministry nationally and globally. Also, per diem pastors who are skilled in online ministry will will no longer be restricted by regional or geographical constraints as a competent pastor. Pastors will be free to work for wider range of churches around the world. As online ministry becomes more prevalent among churches per diem pastors in the in the future who possess well developed screen performance and technology expertise, will be able to operate in several industries and their income will no longer be represented be a narrow segment of the industry. Also, per diem pastor’s income source from a large church will no longer be a significant fraction of their income instead their income in the future will be made up of several church sources. As result, of emergence of online ministry pastors who are branded with online expertise are projected in the future to exert increased bargaining power for their services. As result of such industry changes pastor’s income is estimated to increase, the church ministry boundaries will expand, and the potential to gain access to multiple streams of income. Such new bargaining power may impact churches in the following ways—pastors bargaining power will impact churches since majority of pastors will not be bound to any one institution; pastors will be able to preach from a distant location with a high level of freedom. Pastors, providers of services may be differentiated among different specialization and program offerings. Therefore, the use online technology, and the increased of competent online pastors, will force churches to engage in strategic decision making, downsize administration, and reallocate more resources to online deliverable platform.   

Conclusion: 

In conclusion, COVID-19 has changed the world and how we worship! Churches great and small are forced to adjust to an online presence, a substitute to traditional in-person church experience to accommodate the current social distancing health crisis. There are speculate that healthcare consciousness will be of concern moving forward as the world become a target for biochemical warfare, industrial chemical spillage and pollution, and the erosion of our natural environment. Therefore, future churches should embrace online church not as a temporary consideration but as a hybrid to traditional worship. Therefore, it would prudent for churches to embrace technology by investing in pastoral training in online deliverables, social media, video streaming, and embrace online as an integrated part of the church ministry. "As long as it is day we must do the work of him who sent me. Night is coming when no one can work"  John 9:4

Posted. June 28, 2020.

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