When the pandemic hit around March of 2020 and in-person church attendance was banned or discouraged, thousands of churches went online so they could keep ministering to their communities. It was a novelty at first, and for a time, the online audience surpassed in-person attendance for some churches.
People loved being able to attend church in their pajamas, but not so much anymore.
In April 2023, the Barna Group found that Christians favored in-person gatherings, with 40% of respondents saying they would likely leave a church if it only met online.
Dr. Richard Land, president emeritus of Southern Evangelical Seminary and executive editor of The Christian Post, says online worship has its place, but the Lord expects us to show up.
"Jesus says where two or more are gathered together in my name, there I am also," he quotes from Matthew 18:20. "There is something about being together with your fellow believers and worshiping together."
He says worship is intended to be a communal experience.
"There is not just the vertical worship; there is the horizontal connection with your fellow believers that you just totally miss when it's digital," Land notes.
Online services are great for shut-ins, the ill, or those who are out of town for a time, but it will never replace meeting together. For one thing, he says the enemy sends more distractions to those attending church at home.
The Christian Post points out that that digital worship still has a role in ministry, but in general, it should only supplement because convenience breeds complacency, and screens cannot replace sacred spaces.
"As far as I'm concerned, it's like the difference between eating a meal and reading the description of a meal," Land submits.
