Jay Kranda, previously online community & now innovative tech pastor at Saddleback Church, recently posted his thoughts on the influencer era compared to the consumer era (which he suggests built the megachurch), as he reflected on Todd Wilson’s How Did We Get Here?, which examines the 70 years of the church growth movement (primarily in America, from 1955). Kranda himself wrote on the hybrid church model some years back as well.
Three things produced by the influencer market:
- Fragmentation of truth
- Parasocial relationships
- Secular parishes
This echoes/mirrors what Dave Geisler (who taught me practical apologetics at seminary) discusses in his 2009 book Conversational Evangelism, where he highlights some characteristics of an increasingly postmodern world & generation:
- Rejection of moral absolutes
- Deep religious skepticism
- Indifference to objective truth
- Intolerance of/hostility towards those who believe in absolute truth (disciples of Christ)
Kranda goes on to suggest 4 ways the church can ride this influencer wave:
- Teach a unified truth that influences everything
- Treat digital as a bridge, not a destination
- Create spaces where people are actually known
- Care about your neighbour enough to challenge them