More and more industries and businesses are embracing technology. They are each finding useful roles for technology to solve their particular needs. In this post, I will be discussing church operations. (Yes, even religious operations have become changed by information technology.)
I belong to a particular church with congregations around the world. I have been involved in various volunteer roles at church through the decades such as clerk or secretary. Before I was involved all records were on paper. By the time I was involved with the church, a computer (PC) and a telephone modem were used to record baptisms, financial donations, and everything. Information was available on computers at the church headquarters and locally and could be retrieved and printed. But counting donations and depositing them at the bank still took more than half an hour and was a very manual process.
Church Information Technology
Now, church members can go to the central church website and donate directly online. All the records are entered and retrieved over the world wide web. I can attend the local church congregation through Zoom or attend some distant congregation where a friend is a speaker. I can go online to read scriptures or watch recordings of popular sermons from the highest leaders.
World Wide Connections
This is not just with my particular church. Most other large churches also have many of their resources online. Church attendance can happen online anywhere. Even missionary work is often done online. Emails and local congregation Facebook pages are used to spread announcements. Church databases are used to track church members. There are religious apps for mobile devices.
Photo by Libby Penner on Unsplash
Over the next ten years, I expect there will be less physical travel and more online attendance. Already some of the interviews and counseling with ecclesiastical leaders are via videoconferencing, and I expect that to grow. Video cameras will become more and more a built-in feature on the ceilings or walls of chapels, and not for security.
More Technology in the Future
Church leaders, workers, and their congregations will need to be able to operate online and be proficient with social media and other applications and electronic messages to get or give the religious support they want.
Technology Used for Good
Traditionally, religion and science (or technology) were sometimes seen as enemies of each other. However, that is not the truth. Organized religions can benefit from technology like any organization.
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