A CRITIQUE OF THE VIRTUAL CELEBRATION OF THE LORD’S SUPPER
Sr No:
Page No:
34-52
Language:
English
Authors:
Abiodun Oluwasogo Adegoke, PhD*
Received:
2025-08-29
Accepted:
2025-09-19
Published Date:
2025-09-21
Abstract:
With the increase in technological advancement, concepts such as online church, live streaming, and
online offering to mention a few have become commonplace. Furthermore, the COVID-19 pandemic, four years ago, forced a massive
move of churches to the online space. Although the pandemic has become an historical event of the past, church leaders are still
dealing with the outcome of the changes this period catalyzed. Baptism and the Lord’s Supper are two main ordinances among
Protestant churches, and for the first time, some church leaders were forced to consider administering the Lord’s Supper online or not
observing at all. Since the post-COVID phase, some churches have maintained online Lord’s Supper as a norm for non-physical
members. The initiation of virtual Lord’s Supper celebration demands theological reflection so that the church may not lose the
purpose of the meal in a bid to be pragmatic. This article argues that except in extremely extenuating circumstances, online
communion defeats the very purpose of the meal. The article will briefly describe the concept of the Lord’s Supper, explore the
emergence of online worship experiences, underscore the COVID-19 as a catalyst to the acceleration and acceptance of online
communion as a common practice and finally critique the practice of administering the Lord’s Supper online.
Keywords:
Lord’s Supper, virtual celebration, communion, online church.