Disruptions and Transformations: COVID-19 and Social Lives of Churches in Barbados

Abstract

COVID-19 is both a public health concern and a social event that is disrupting and transforming many aspects of our lives. This chapter examines the disruptive and transformative impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on three Christian denominations in Barbados, primarily the Anglican Diocese and Seventh-day Adventists, and to a lesser extent, the Moravian Church. Drawing predominantly on qualitative in-depth semi-structured interviews with eight Christian leaders, the chapter addresses the ways in which the pandemic altered the selected groups’ religious landscapes, especially in regard to worship and an array of social interactions within their respective church communities. In so doing, it details the ways in which these groups navigate social disruptions relating to the global pandemic, while seeking to provide stability to believers and to those in need within the wider community through the provision of various resources. Specifically, churches utilised various technologies to reach members and the wider community, while also offering and expanding on already existing services, such as prayers, counselling and the provision of material resources. On one hand, this study provides nuanced insights into the ongoing relevance of churches to the spiritual, emotional, social and material lives of members and others within the society. On the other hand, while the need for their services increased within the pandemic, churches, some more than others, have also had to contend with sustaining their own existence, or transformation, by overcoming financial constraints and finding creative ways to keep their membership engaged and active.