#194
Misinformation in Africa; Declining Church Attendance
Religious mobilization on COVID-19 vaccinations has particular importance in Africa. Nigerian journalist Obinna Nwuko
writes: “The religious institutions are one of the best ways to inform a large congregation of people because of the loyalty attached to the church. When some religious leaders started branding the virus as devil made and the vaccine as the sign of anti-Christ, most Nigerians have concluded that they will distance themselves from the vaccine.” Only
11% of Africa's population has been vaccinated, yet the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention is now
requesting that all COVID-19 vaccine donations be paused until the third or fourth quarter of this year to avoid the risk of doses expiring and being wasted. Uptake has been slow across the continent, in part due to lack of availability, poor health infrastructure, limited funding for training and deployment of medical staff, and challenges with vaccine storage.
Misinformation and conspiracy theories have also undoubtedly driven vaccine hesitancy in the region, and beliefs linked to religion have played a role.
In Ghana, a group of
religious sisters are working hard to debunk COVID-19 vaccine myths, ranging from denial that the virus exists to various false side effects. The Catholic Sisters COVID-19 Vaccine Ambassadors Campaign is led by the Conference of Major Superiors of Religious in Ghana, in collaboration with the Vatican COVID-19 Commission. The Conrad N. Hilton Foundation, a U.S. charitable foundation established in 1944 by the hotel entrepreneur, sponsors the initiative. “Thousands of people have accepted taking vaccines because they have seen religious sisters themselves taking the vaccines, and nothing bad happened to them, which is a success for me," said Sr. Jane Wakahiu, associate vice president of program operations and head of the Catholic Sisters program at the Hilton Foundation.
With the implications of virtual worship a consistent theme since the beginning of the pandemic, religious institutions today are weighing the long-term costs and benefits of online versus in-person worship. Last week we
highlighted a virtual reality church; this week we highlight The Potter’s House of Denver, a 3,500-seat
megachurch that recently decided to become fully virtual. Many
churches have faced shrinking congregations and dwindling donations that forced their closure, but some - like The Potter’s House of Denver - have simply decided that what was once a temporary measure is now the best path forward. Challenges to this path forward include uncertainty around online engagement and commitment, as well as theological questions such as whether sacraments can be taken virtually for Catholics or prohibitions on broadcasting services in certain denominations of Judaism and Islam. Heidi Campbell, a researcher studying digital religion at Texas A&M University, said that she expects that online-only churches will continue to be the exception rather than the rule, and that those who have been providing hybrid services will either drop the online option entirely or lean into it as a permanent fixture.