When Pastors put on the “Tech Hat”: How Churches Digitized during Covid-19

Abstract

This is the first research report from the Tech in Churches During Covid-19 research project, which investigates the role digital media has played in churches over the course of the COVID-19 pandemic. The aim of this study is to explore in detail the technological decision-making process churches and leaders have undergone during this time of great institutional change and adaptation impacting religious communities in unique ways. Report one analyzes and reports on key themes emerging from 50 Tech Talk sessions with 478 church leaders hosted online by the Center for Congregations of Indianapolis, Indiana in 2020 and 2021. Sessions focused on pastors and other church leaders discussing their technology choices and use during the pandemic, and the challenges and opportunities this created as they transitioned, often for the first time, into digital worship. This report centers on five key questions that help explore different church's choices regarding implement digital media, and the technological demands they discovered in moving from traditional offline church, to online and hybrid forms.