Proliferation in the Pandemic

Many have noted the increased uptake of small groups online in the Corona crisis. Might this be a glimpse of an opening, a rent, in the direction of the future? Is God breaking us out of our stultifying churchiness? Probably many will stop attending once they don’t need support during lockdown. Plus those who now have time, because they’re furloughed, may return to their previous busy lives.

But surely here is a snapshot of possible renewal. Small online groups are difficult to organise, without the face-to-face of real ‘facetime’ with real faces. But a surprising degree of intimacy and sharing is possible, together with a high level of spiritual engagement through prayer and Scripture. Maybe we can discover a ‘disembodied’ form of bodylife?  

Maximising the number of people in small groups, can cause growth, spiritual and numerical, in depth and breadth. “Proliferation”, as in Jason Crandall’s book, although multiplying not churches but cells, can also penetrate different areas of the urban digital space, incorporating different people groups.

Hidden from the surface world, this church can travel along the viral pathways of the digital-covid age, as the early church used the postal service and roads of the Roman Empire. Although dependent on the technology of the empire itself, this underground church may subvert the system from within, following the empire’s own circuits of transmission.

Similar to the house churches of the initial Jesus movement (Ro. 16 & 1 Co. 16), we could recover the primitivism of early Christianity. A genuine anti-clericalism, could empower the laity, to use their spiritual gifts. Although there is actually no ‘laity’, because Biblically there is no opposing hierophantic caste. We are all part of the laos tou theou: people of God.

This entails taking the risk of recruiting people to lead, who may not have experience or training. But we need to trust them, and to trust the God who equips those he calls. Throughout the world, revivals occur when professional Christian leaders make way for ordinary people to hear from, and speak for, God. This may have potential for post-lockdown. Surely we will return to physical meetings, but some may prefer their intimate online conflabs.

In the meantime, how can we encourage them in mission? Two questions could be asked in all groups: 1. How can we share our faith during lockdown? 2. How can we do justice during lockdown? We can also ask God to suggest names to us, of people we might invite to join our group. This may require a change in internet platform; for example from Whatsapp (limited to four people), to Zoom, accommodating more.

To avoid the dangers inherent in autonomous cell churches, there are two counter-measures. 1. False teaching avoided by leaders listening to teaching from the centre: in my daily bible Studies, and my Blog for theological articles. 2. Abuse of power softened through participation in leaders meetings, and personal supervision.

But although there are months left of lockdown, the window of opportunity is limited. Let’s take advantage.