Cyberreligion

August 5, 2000

Source: The Atlanta Journal and Constitution

On August 5, 2000, The Atlanta Journal and Constitution reported on the First Church of Cyberspace and its pastor, the Rev. Charles Henderson. The four-year-old congregation includes members of a variety of religions, including Christian, Jew, Pagan, and atheist. "It's tremendously diverse," said ordained Presbyterian pastor Henderson from the church's office in New York. "It has pagans, Wiccans, liberals, gays, straight --- that's what makes it so exciting." Henderson's church is part of a growing trend in spirituality, one where God can be found online. "Internet experts say that religion has become one of the most popular stops in cyberspace. At least 25 percent of the estimated 100 million Americans online use the Internet regularly to seek or share spirituality, a 1998 study by the Barna Research Group, an organization that tracks religious trends, concluded." While some are concerned that actually going to a house of worship might soon become obsolete thanks to the internet, others are not so sure. "People want to be at a place at the same time," Henderson said. "That's an indispensable ingredient to being a Christian."