Page 21 [21]
LEADERSHIP DURING A LOCKDOWN
(Abu Sefein and Martyr Wanas Church, Madinat Al Salam, Cairo; interview,
July, 2020).
Case studies abound with similar guotes of church leaders who leveraged
technology to continue the service. Ihis, however, was not an option in villages
where internet access is not commonly available, particularly to poor congre¬
gants.
The second highlighted issue was labeled as discovering new talent, which
referred to efforts to increase the pool of servants to include unconventional
groups. The two key groups were primarily drawn from the youth. The first
was composed of those who could help with ICT training and support and the
second included youth who could help in the delivery of food and basic neces¬
sities for those locked down due to illness or need.
The third highlighted opportunity was the updating of the congregation
database. Updating the roster of families is a common concern of church
leaders given the fact that some families can move in or out of the community.
Generally, family registration is made using a paper-based method. A few
churches, mainly those in upper-middle-class-areas, could have systems for
online registration as shown by the data.
a Use of technology
in service
= Discovering
new talents
aUpdating the
Congregation
Database
a New services
and activities
all week long
Figure 1. Opportunities Created During Lockdown
Figure 1 indicates that church leaders were keen to highlight the introduction
of new services into the congregation. A follow-up question highlights the key
newly introduced services. These are shown in Table 1. As multiple answers
were allowed, Table 1 shows that 64% highlighted the introduction of remote
medical services through volunteer doctors. These doctors provided multiple
services that are further highlighted in Table 2. Other newly introduced ser¬
vices included reliance on ICT-savvy youth who could help in setting up new
systems (selected by 34% of respondents) or training others (highlighted by
15% of respondents); reliance on youth to take part in the delivery of meals to
the sick (selected by 32% of respondents) or to drive sick people to clinics
(highlighted by 18% of respondents). Additionally, a quarter of the respondents
(26%) viewed meal preparation as a key service for the sick.
s 19 c