Virtual Ecclesiology on the Rise: Considering the Challenges Posed by COVID-19 in South Africa

ABSTRACT

Times of trouble provide opportunities for innovation within religion. The current pandemic opens opportunities to create a new, global, inclusive ecclesiology by connecting Christians from all over the world and all walks of life, with the sole purpose of focusing on the Christian faith and mission of the church to the world. Although the term "virtual ecclesiology” can be attenuated to mean "not real”, it is also a strong, virtuous way of structuring the church in technology-driven societies. It can provide a new church model, and allows for open, inclusive, and diverse technology-based options to communicate God's love both inside the global church and to the world. The African Pentecostalisation process serves as an example of a possible first step towards developing a virtual ecclesiology. © The Editor(s) (if applicable) and The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2022.