(RNS) — After Becky Hope left the evangelical church she had been attending in Portland, Oregon, four years ago, she began watching online services at an ecumenical church in New York City — just for a little while, she figured, until she found something closer to home.
But after a few months, Hope, 40, found that the digital experience was as fulfilling as any she has had, especially after the church — Good Shepherd New York — began a small group for people watching online from the Pacific Northwest.
“I just fully fell in love and found a community within the digital space, which was not expected,” said Hope, describing Good Shepherd as a place where she has has felt “seen and known.”
Even so, Hope, an educator who was raised Catholic, missed receiving the Eucharist. For that, she began attending Trinity Episcopal Cathedral in downtown Portland in person every Sunday, as well.
“It really matters to me to be physically partaking in Eucharist with people sitting next to people.”
For Hope, participating in multiple churches neatly fills her needs. And it is increasingly common for others, too.
Becky Hope attends a retreat for digital congregants of Good Shepherd New York in New York City. (Photo by Alex Scott)
A recent survey conducted by the Hartford Institute for Religion Research found that nearly half of American churchgoers — 46% — attend church services in multiple locations in person and/or online.
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