Going Where The Camels Can’t Go: Adopting A Theology of Technology for the Church
It is fair to say that most churches, especially churches within the Black diaspora, were not online when the 2020 global pandemic arrived. Certainly, there were exceptions; television broadcasting and live streaming is not new to many megachurches and larger congregations. But many congregations were challenged by the notion of using technology and online platforms such as streaming and social media not just within the context of their worship services, but also to help them facilitate the overall worship experience.
Historically, the Church has often been challenged when it comes to marrying the use of technology with the Gospel. This challenge was caused by several factors, including a shortage of knowledgeable and tech-savvy volunteers, limited finances and resources, and a fear that technology would distract from the message. Church leaders struggled to understand how to integrate it into their ministries in meaningful and transformative ways. They also struggled with the idea of live streaming their services because some feared it would affect their in-person attendance rather than broaden their impact. After all, if people could enjoy church from the comfort of their living rooms, why would they get dressed to drive across town for worship? This was a valid question that some church leaders wrestled with before the pandemic.
I believe that at the root of this question was a deeper problem - a problem that perhaps has loomed over the Church for decades. As tradition and cost impeded on the Church’s adoption of technology, the Church also lacks a theology of technology.
What Is a Theology of Technology?
A theology of technology centralizes God and God’s message while using the tools of technology (cameras, social media, live streaming, etc.) to magnify and propel the reach of the message. A healthy theology of technology emphasizes the importance of balance and affirms that technology is not a replacement for physical community, nor does it seek to replace the sacraments; rather, it is a tool, given by God to the Church, to enhance and complement in-person gatherings and worship services.
A theology of technology is grounded in an understanding of the social usage of technology. “Because technology is more than just the tools we use, we define technology as an activity that we do and that we are constantly doing. But we don’t do this activity as individuals in isolation.”[1]
A church with a theology of technology also understands and interprets technology through the lens of her faith and values. She also understands the tone and tenor of the culture and how to communicate the Gospel effectively within it. In addition to holding herself accountable for the responsible use of technology, the Church also holds herself accountable in the way she communicates the Gospel with technology. A good theology of technology recognizes that the medium is not the message and is not intended to taint the message. Rather, the sole purpose of the medium is to propel the message forward.
God & Technology
Oftentimes, when we think of technology, we don’t think of God, but God and technology have always had a relationship. The root word for technology is tekhne in the Greek, and it refers to art, skill, craft, system, or method of making or doing.[2] There are instances in the Biblical text where God uses people and technology for Kingdom purposes. In Genesis 6, God calls Noah as a craftsman to build an ark.[3] In Exodus 31, God uses Be-za-lel, of the tribe of Judah, to make artistic designs and to engage in all kinds of crafts.[4] God also uses “skilled workers” to make Aaron’s priestly garments.[5]
In the Hebrew Scriptures, scrolls were a mode of technology in the Old Testament while Epistles served as the technology of the New Testament church. “When the Christian Church came to consist of a number of scattered parts, stretching from Mesopotamia in the east to Rome or even Spain in the far west, it was only natural that the apostle by whom the greater number of these communities had been founded should seek to communicate with them by letter.”[6] The Apostle Paul’s ministry grew so vast that it was impossible for him to be in Galatia and Rome at the same time, but his Epistles were.
Today, the Church has access to technology that would have been unimaginable to Paul. Today’s technology can place our churches in Memphis, Rome, and South Africa at the same time, instantaneously. Embracing a theology of technology that recognizes God's presence in both the physical and digital realms enlarges a church’s capacity to take the gospel to the ends of the earth.
Barriers to Adopting a Theology of Technology
Tradition
In my early years, I can remember visiting my grandmother’s church for Vacation Bible School. It was an aging congregation with a median age of 60 years old. I can remember a sanctuary filled with red, thick-cushioned pews lined with Baptist hymnals, a cross hanging over the baptismal pool, a few instruments for music, and a podium for preaching. That was it! No cameras. No LED screens. No projectors. This was understandable because technology had not advanced to what we know it to be now. When I visited the same church a few years ago, not much had changed. My grandmother’s church was still a product of its tradition - a tradition that highly emphasized message over methods. A tradition with an embedded theology that says that the use of certain technology in the church is a distraction, and dare I say, demonic.
While tradition has relegated technology to the sidelines of worship and ministry, a theology of technology reframes it as a powerful tool for spreading faith.
There are future generations that will begin to emerge in our churches that do not demonize technology in the way that previous generations may have. No, technology is fully integrated into their lives and many of them are digital natives.[7] They grew up with digital technology, and it is a part of their native language. The Church cannot ask a millennial, a Gen Z, or someone from the Alpha generation to abandon his or her way of life to interact with God; and to do so, would be to the Church’s disadvantage.
Cost
While tradition can be a barrier to churches adopting a theology of technology, it is not the only barrier. Integrating technology into how we spread the Gospel can be expensive. A digital and communications team, high-end cameras, quality lights, and great internet can come with high price tags. What is possible for a large church with a large budget may not be possible for a church in a rural community with a membership of 100. Access and resources do matter!
Many churches simply cannot afford to take the leap that integrating technology demands. However, a church does not have to have the latest and greatest technology to be effective. A theology of technology is more about using the tools of technology at ones disposal for kingdom impact than it is about the technology itself.
Why This Matters
One of the primary reasons every church needs to adopt a theology of technology is because theology undergirds the work of the Church. If a church believes that technology has little to no relevance in fulfilling God’s mission, then that church’s practices will reflect that. Moreover, the future of the Church is hybrid and social media and digital technology [will become] the backbone or foundation of any good discipleship strategy.[8]
We live in a nation where technology is omnipresent. People pay their bills online, have doctor visits via tele-health services, and even meet their future spouses through dating apps. Life happens online. The same people who are paying their bills online and meeting with their doctors online are also looking for Jesus online. "The front door of your church is now in people’s pockets. Most people’s church experience actually starts in the digital world even if it finishes in the physical world.” [9] A good theology of technology informs our practices and moves us beyond brick and mortar to building houses of worship online.
Conclusion
Adopting a theology of technology will not only help the Church make new disciples and strengthen its current community, but it will also help the Church connect with the younger generations who have grown up in a world where technology is an integral part of their lives. It allows the Church to engage with these generations in a way that is natural and familiar, helping to bridge the gap between the Church and the culture at large. Adopting a theology of technology will also enable the Church to meet the needs of people who are physically unable to attend worship services (e.g. working adults, homebound members, or persons with physical limitations.)
God is not threatened by technology nor our innovation of it. In fact, God is the ultimate innovator and creator[10] and does not need us nor our technology to spread God’s Word, but God has so graciously chosen to use both. Adopting a healthy theology of technology invites the Church to participate in the creative reign of God.
I heard Bishop T.D. Jakes say, “When Jesus said to go into all the world, He didn’t necessarily mean that we had to go by camel.”[11] Technology is a gift from God and can help us carry the message of the Gospel further than any camel could. Go where the camels cannot go!
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[1] Adamson, Dave. 2022. Metachurch: How to Use Digital Ministry to Reach People and Make Disciples. Cumming: Orange, 73.
[2] Online Etymology Dictionary. https://www.etymonline.com/search?q=technology
[3] Genesis 6:9-22
[4] Exodus 31:1-6
[5] Exodus 28:2-3
[6] M. G. Easton, Illustrated Bible Dictionary and Treasury of Biblical History, Biography, Geography, Doctrine, and Literature (New York: Harper & Brothers, 1893), 235.
[7] Prensky, Marc. "Digital Native, Digital Immigrant: A New Way To Look At Ourselves and Our Kids." On The Horizon 9, no. 5 (2001). Accessed March 1, 2019. https://www.marcprensky.com/writing/Prensky%20-%20Digital%20Natives,%20Digital%20Immigrants%20-%20Part1.pdf.
[8] Adamson, 78.
[9] Ibid, 68.
[10] Genesis 1:1
[11] The Breakfast Club. Bishop T.D. Jakes Interview. May 10, 2023. https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-breakfast-club/id1232428553?i=1000612548023.
