Negotiating mediation and embodiment: A qualitative study of digital communication in African Seventh-day Adventist church post-COVID-19

Dexter Adamson Njuka; Jackson Phiri; Francis Simui

doi:10.51867/ajernet.7.2.32

Authors

Dexter Adamson Njuka The University of Zambia, Zambia https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4541-6961
Prof. Jackson Phiri The University of Zambia, Zambia https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4430-1580
Prof. Francis Simui https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7199-2970

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.51867/ajernet.7.2.32

Keywords:

COVID-19, Ecclesial Communication, Qualitative Research, Social Media, Virtual Conferencing, Virtual Religion

Abstract

The Covid-19 ramifications brought about the adoption of online communication technology even in churches, remolding ecclesial ordinances and worship rituals, sense-giving, and communal interaction. This qualitative study is theoretically guided by several key frameworks, including Digital Discourse Theory, Stakeholder Communication Theory, and Computer-Mediated Communication (CMC) Theory. These theories elucidate how digital media reshape the delivery of core messages, enhancing governance and community life in the post-COVID-19 era. The target population was made of key church stakeholders who were actively engaged in digital communication platforms during and after the COVID-19 pandemic. The study employed a qualitative design based on semi-structured interviews with a purposively selected sample of 18 key church stakeholders comprising church administrators, clergy, and lay members who actively engaged in digital communication platforms during and after the COVID-19 pandemic. The research employs thematic analysis to establish four interlinked themes: (1) digital reach and organizational efficiency, (2) digital literacy, access, and generational divides, (3) governance, policy, and stakeholder-centered communication, and (4) limits of digital mediation for spiritual and communal life. By use of interview data and scholarship on organizational communication, online religion, and digital knowledge, the research posits that as much as virtual spaces promote access, continuity, and openness, they must be operated within the confines of hybrid ecclesial models and reliable governance paradigms in order to enhance spiritual intercourse and communal cooperation. The study concludes that while digital platforms enhance organizational efficiency, accessibility, and continuity of worship, they are limited in fostering embodied spirituality and communal intimacy. It is recommended that hybrid ecclesial communication models be adopted, supported by clear governance frameworks, stakeholder-centered communication policies, and inclusive digital literacy strategies.

Downloads

Download data is not yet available.

Author Biographies

Prof. Jackson Phiri, The University of Zambia, Zambia

Prof. Jackson Phiri is an associate professor in the Department of Computing and Informatics at the University of Zambia with more than 15 years of work experience in teaching and research. He holds a Doctor of Philosophy (PhD), a Master of Science (MSc), and a Bachelor of Science in Computer Science. His research interests include applied artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, and business information.

Prof. Francis Simui

Prof. Francis Simui is an associate professor of inclusive education at the University of Zambia and a Canon Collins Trust/Chevening alumnus with a PhD in inclusive education. He serves on EENET’s Steering Group and NOMSA Advisory Board. His expertise spans inclusive education and open and distance education systems, with extensive experience in Zambia and internationally, earning multiple academic and research awards.

References

Acilar, A., & Sæbø, Ø. (2023). Towards understanding the gender digital divide: A systematic literature review. Global Knowledge, Memory and Communication, 72(3), 233-249. https://doi.org/10.1108/GKMC-09-2021-0147

Allen, M. (2016). Strategic communication for sustainable organizations: Theory and practice. Fayetteville, USA: University of Arkansas.

https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-18005-2

Anderson, L. B., & Jones-Bodie, A. (2023). Facing adversity together: Toward a genre of organization-stakeholder resilience discourse. Management Communication Quarterly, 37(1), 144-170. https://doi.org/10.1177/08933189221112045

Baym, N. K. (2015). Social media and the struggle for society. Social Media + Society. https://doi.org/10.1177/2056305115580477

Bhatia, A. (2023). Digital influencers and online expertise: The linguistic power of beauty vloggers. Routledge.

https://doi.org/10.4324/9781003011705

Boulianne, S. (2020). Twenty years of digital media effects on civic and political participation. Communication Research, 47(7), 947-966.

https://doi.org/10.1177/0093650218808186

Bulfin, S., & McGraw, K. (2015). Digital literacy in theory and practice. Journal of Educational Technology & Society, 18(4), 289-301.

Camilleri, M. A. (2021). Using social media and digital communication to engage stakeholders during COVID-19. Sustainability, 13(6), 3432.

Campbell, H. A., & Evolvi, G. (2020). Contextualizing current digital religion research on emerging technologies. Human Behavior and Emerging Technologies, 2(1), 5-17. https://doi.org/10.1002/hbe2.149

Campbell, H. A., & Tsuria, R. (2021). Digital religion and new media. New Media & Society, 23(5), 1337-1343. https://doi.org/10.4324/9780429295683

Cantoni, L., & Danowski, J. A. (2015). Communication and technology. De Gruyter Mouton. https://doi.org/10.1515/9783110271355

Capriotti, P., Zeler, I., & Camilleri, M. A. (2021). Communication strategies and stakeholder engagement in digital environments. Public Relations Review, 47(5), 102086.

Cullen, R. (2001). Addressing the digital divide. Online Information Review, 25(5), 311-320. https://doi.org/10.1108/14684520110410517

https://doi.org/10.1108/14684520110410517

Darics, E., & Lockwood, J. (2023). 'I'm actually shocked of how rude you are!' Communication challenges in webchat-based customer service. Discourse & Communication, 17(1), 3-22. https://doi.org/10.1177/17504813221123843

Di Maddaloni, F., & Derakhshan, R. (2024). Stakeholders' perception of organization: An attribution and fairness perspective. International Journal of Managing Projects in Business, 17(1), 27-49. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJMPB-08-2023-0178

Djatmiko, G. H., Sinaga, O., & Pawirosumarto, S. (2025). Digital transformation and social inclusion in public services: A qualitative analysis of e-government adoption for marginalized communities in sustainable governance. Sustainability, 17(7), 2908.

https://doi.org/10.3390/su17072908

Duchek, S. (2020). Organizational resilience: A capability-based conceptualization. Business Research, 13(1), 215-246. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40685-019-0085-7

Dwivedi, Y. K., Ismagilova, E., Hughes, D. L., Carlson, J., Filieri, R., Jacobson, J., ... & Wang, Y. (2021). Setting the future of digital and social media marketing research: Perspectives and research propositions. International Journal of Information Management, 59, 102168.

Elele, F. C., Okocha, D. O., Saidu, A. S., & Ebi, A. O. (2024). Using digital media for CSR communication and stakeholder engagement: Evidence from faith-based organizations in Abuja. CRUTECH Journal of Communication, 5(1), 71-88.

Fauville, G., Luo, M., Queiroz, A. C., Bailenson, J. N., & Hancock, J. (2021). Zoom exhaustion & fatigue scale. Computers in Human Behavior Reports, 4, 100119. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chbr.2021.100119

Grigore, C., & Cobzeanu, A. (2025). The impact of digitalization on religious practices and community dynamics following the COVID-19 pandemic: A systematic review. Revista Romaneasca Pentru Educatie Multidimensionala, 17(2), 302-343.

https://doi.org/10.18662/rrem/17.2/984

Hardy, C., & Maguire, S. (2016). Organizing risk: Discourse, power, and "riskification." Academy of Management Review, 41(1), 80-108.

https://doi.org/10.5465/amr.2013.0106

Hargittai, E. (2010). Digital na (t) ives? Variation in internet skills and uses among members of the "net generation." Sociological Inquiry, 80(1), 92-113. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1475-682X.2009.00317.x

Helsper, E. J. (2012). A corresponding fields model for the links between social and digital exclusion. Communication Theory, 22(4), 403-426. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1468-2885.2012.01416.x

Herring, S. C. (2019). The co-evolution of computer-mediated communication and digital discourse. Journal of Computer-Mediated Communication, 24(1), 1-18.

Hussain, T., & Wang, D. (2024). Social media and the spiritual journey: The place of digital technology in enriching the experience. Religions, 15(5), 616. https://doi.org/10.3390/rel15050616

Jones, R. H. (2022). Digital literacies and language learning. In Handbook of practical second language teaching and learning (pp. 184-194). https://doi.org/10.4324/9781003106609-15

Kaplan, A. M., & Haenlein, M. (2010). Users of the world, unite! The challenges and opportunities of social media. Business Horizons, 53(1), 59-68. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bushor.2009.09.003

Ki, E. J., & Hon, L. C. (2007). Testing the linkages among the organization-public relationship and attitude and behavioral intentions. Journal of Public Relations Research, 19(1), 1-23. https://doi.org/10.1080/10627260709336593

Kołodziejska, M., Mandes, S., & Rabiej-Sienicka, K. (2024). Cultural and theological influences on religious engagement with digital media during COVID-19: A comparative study of churches in Poland and Ireland. Religions, 15(3), 354. https://doi.org/10.3390/rel15030354

Koukiadis, D. I. (2025). Digital exclusion, social exclusion, the workplace digital divide, algorithmic decision-making, and the digital transformation of the enterprise from a legal-social perspective. In European identities, inclusion and equality: Social exclusion of vulnerable groups in the European Union (pp. 293-318). Cham: Springer Nature Switzerland. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-90602-2_18

Lengnick-Hall, C. A., Beck, T. E., & Lengnick-Hall, M. L. (2011). Developing organizational resilience through HRM. Human Resource Management Review, 21(3), 243-255. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.hrmr.2010.07.001

Leonardi, P. M., Huysman, M., & Steinfield, C. (2013). Enterprise social media: Definition, history, and prospects. Journal of Computer-Mediated Communication, 19(1), 1-19. https://doi.org/10.1111/jcc4.12029

Lim, C., & Ratan, R. (2025). Zoom fatigue and facial dissatisfaction relate to virtual meeting engagement differently in the US and South Korean contexts. Cyberpsychology, Behavior, and Social Networking, 28(2), 82-89. https://doi.org/10.1089/cyber.2024.0099

McNeely, C. L. (2024). Traversing the digital divide in concept and effect: Relative interpretations and orientations. Policy & Internet, 16(2), 214-221. https://doi.org/10.1002/poi3.409

Njuka, D. A., & Phiri, J. (2022). A review of literature: The organizational discourse challenges with integration of social media and virtual conferencing in communication for the Seventh-day Adventist Church in Zambia during COVID-19 pandemic. In Proceedings of International Conference for ICT (ICICT)-Zambia (Vol. 4, No. 1, pp. 64-67).

Passey, D., Ntebutse, J. G., Ahmad, M. Y. A., Cochrane, J., Collin, S., Ganayem, A., ... & Somasi, S. (2024). Populations digitally excluded from education: Issues, factors, contributions and actions for policy, practice and research in a post-pandemic era. Technology, Knowledge and Learning, 29(4), 1733-1750. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10758-024-09767-w

Sindoni, M. G. (2013). Spoken and written discourse in online interactions: A multimodal approach (1st ed.). Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9780203587935

Sun, R., Li, J. Y. Q., Lee, Y., & Tao, W. (2023). The role of symmetrical internal communication in improving employee experiences and organizational identification during COVID-19 pandemic-induced organizational change. International Journal of Business Communication, 60(4), 1398-1426. https://doi.org/10.1177/23294884211050628

Treem, J. W., & Leonardi, P. M. (2013). Social media use in organizations. Communication Yearbook, 36, 143-189. https://doi.org/10.1080/23808985.2013.11679130

Tsai, W.-H. S., & Men, L. R. (2017). Social CEOs: The effects of CEOs' communication styles and parasocial interaction on social networking sites. New Media & Society, 19(11), 1848-1867. https://doi.org/10.1177/1461444816643922

van Deursen, A. J. A. M., & van Dijk, J. A. G. M. (2014). The digital divide shifts to differences in usage. New Media & Society, 16(3), 507-526. https://doi.org/10.1177/1461444813487959

Vassilakopoulou, P., & Hustad, E. (2023). Bridging digital divides: A literature review and research agenda for information systems research. Information Systems Frontiers, 25(3), 955-969. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10796-020-10096-3

Walther, J. B. (2011). Theories of computer-mediated communication and interpersonal relations. In M. L. Knapp & J. A. Daly (Eds.), The Sage handbook of interpersonal communication (pp. 443-479). Sage.