Adventist social media initiatives and their impact on evangelism during the Covid-19 pandemic in the Philippines : a case study

Abstract

Social media has captured the world by storm because it is a modern technological communication advancement. It is an exciting world to explore. It connects people all over the world regardless of race and religion. It builds bridges of knowledge that foster learning on a massive scale. One social media post can generate millions of views online. One area of social media worthy of study is its usage for evangelism, especially during crises of epic proportions, such as the COVID-19 pandemic. This study was undertaken to determine the impact of social media on evangelism based on the theoretical framework of deep mediatization, emphasizing the constructivist view, which espouses that media has become an inherent part of every social domain that shapes the world on all levels, including religion in general and the Seventh-day Adventist Church in particular. Related to this theory is the theory described as the socioreligious frame of technology by Campbell (2010), which highlights the church organization’s use of media and communication technology. This theory considers the church’s core values and practices, the church’s evaluation of the technology used, and the adaptation of its design as the context demands and frames the technology through the church’ discourse which sets its appropriate goals. This particular research intended to discover the impact of social media on evangelism in the Seventh-day Adventist Church in the Philippines during the COVID-19 pandemic. The methodology used in this research was qualitative approach, particularly the case study design. The participants of this study were 13 persons categorized into 3 distinct groups: Adventist leaders or social media movers, social media content makers/influencers, and social media consumers. The research highlighted 12 themes and 45 categories, leading to the identification of 5 components that make up a successful social media evangelism initiative in proclaiming the gospel message and making disciples of people: transformational leadership, choice of social media platform, quality social media content, branding, and consistent online pastoral care.