Qualitative study of the use of social media by church personnel for religious activities in Ibadan, Nigeria

Abstract

With the invention of social media, religious organisations like churches have started to incorporate them into their activities. This is because social media has made information sharing faster and more convenient. This study adopts a qualitative approach and provides answers to six research questions. Data were collected from 20 respondents via one-to-one interviews. The respondents include Pastors, church administrators, and Information Technology (IT) personnel in selected churches in the Ibadan metropolis. WhatsApp was the most commonly used social media platform among the churches for information dissemination and preaching. Social media was found to be a good avenue to reduce physical meetings and gatherings in churches, as meetings and prayers could be held through the various social media platforms. The study among others recommends that Cyber church should be promoted among churches in order to encourage people who might not have opportunity of attending the physical churches, as this will give them a sense of belonging among the Christian community.