Ministry After COVID-19: Back to the Future

From every indication that I see, churches are responding well to the current COVID-19 virus situation. But, what comes next?

Nearly 40 years ago, author John Naisbitt wrote his book “Megatrends” which predicted a future society that was both “high-tech” and “high-touch.” In other words, a society that took advantage of emerging technology and which was also highly relational.

In many ways Naisbitt was right, although our society has drifted more into the realm of “high-tech” and somewhat away from the realm of “high-touch.” During this drift, our churches have remained highly relational, and we have been somewhat out of step with society. That’s not necessarily bad, since the church of God is supposed to be different than the world in the same way light is different than darkness.

With the need to maintain “social distance” due to the COVID-19 situation, the vast majority of our churches have learned how to leverage technology to continue to minister. This is a good thing because, like Paul used Roman roads, the Roman mail system, and sailed in sea lanes protected by Roman might to do his ministry, we also can take advantage of the technology of our day to do our ministry.

In the past week I have spoken with dozens of pastors and other church leaders across the county where I minister. Many churches who have never attempted to use social media to broadcast their services and Bibles studies are doing this very successfully and many have learned that, while doing this takes work (maybe even more work than holding regular services), they have found that using technology isn’t nearly as difficult as they once thought.

While our churches are using technology, they are also using more personal means of ministry. I know that pastors, deacons, Sunday School teachers, and other church leaders are keeping in touch with the families in their church by an old-fashioned, but still useful technology: the telephone! I am doing the same as well as using the postal system.

I want to encourage churches to keep ministry “high-tech” when the crisis has passed. God is using this time to push us into using 21st Century methods to do ministry in the 21st Century. We are learning these techniques are particularly encouraging for our older, home-bound population.

At the same time, I believe that when the “social distancing” restrictions are over, people will be able to express a thirst for social interaction that is building up during the COVID-19 response. We are have many decades of experience at “high-touch” ministry; let’s be prepared to leverage that experience when life become more normal.

“High-touch” and “high-tech” are two sides of the same coin! Let’s use them both as we serve God in the weeks to come!

Every blessing,

Dr. Otis Corbitt