Responding to the crisis: Implications of the challenges and opportunities of being a Church during COVID-19

Abstract

A global crisis of the magnitude of COVID-19 needs churches that have a deep wealth of knowledge, faith and wisdom to provide leadership when such a pandemic shakes the very foundations of human society. Such a crisis can lead to seismic changes, but often does not; it simply clarifies current challenges and possibilities for society. In Christian churches, the widespread virtual streaming of important Easter and Sunday sermons had a palpable impact on church life as such. This study investigates the challenges and opportunities of being a Church during the worst of times in the history of the Church. It uses a qualitative methodology. Four of the churches in KwaZulu-Natal were used as a case study. One leader in each church was purposively selected to participate in the data generation process. Furthermore, two ordinary members in each church were interviewed to explore how the faith communities are coping with responding to lockdown, social isolation, and physical distancing. The findings revealed that both church leaders and congregants were psychologically traumatised, and thought this crisis was a wake-up call to capacitate the church to respond to such eventualities with one voice. The study recommends swift and immediate intervention that will change the outlook of the Church to reform business as usual to be technologically oriented.