Effects of COVID-19 Pandemic on Pentecostal Groups in Ondo State, Nigeria: Smaller Congregations and New Initiatives

Abstract

The study examines how COVID-19 affected religious activities in Pentecostal churches, and how members responded to the challenges occasioned by the pandemic in Ondo. Interviews were conducted with 87 interviewees and analysed using content analysis. Findings show that COVID-19 pandemic altered the conventional pattern of face-to-face contacts during church services, and replaced by the freedom of personal worship anchored on the use of on-line transmissions via social media platforms. While the Government’s insistence on religious groups  adopting on-line transmissions  for interaction and spiritual purposes, such as preaching, prayer intercessions and Bible-study as a means to curtail the spread of the virus engendered  huge losses of in-church membership, church-identity and church-income, it also made room for churches to adopting an innovative pattern of operations evident in the use of electronic payments of both offerings and tithes by members; and, even holding church services in sessions of smaller, more manageable groups.