Introduction

Believing that they were acting in a way much like “first century Christians,” David (a professional psychologist and convert to evangelical Christianity) told me that he and his wife Brenda used the Internet to enact their “ekklesia.” For David, “any time people are together—two or more are gathered in His name: there you are! You're the ekklesia!” Rejecting the need for religious institutions, David described how his online communication replaced the function of a brick-and-mortar church:

In the New Testament, the word “church” is translated from the Greek word “ekklesia.” Ekklesia referred to the congregation associated with a particular synagogue. As Christianity evolved, both the Catholic and Eastern Churches emphasized the importance of institutional leadership. Over time, institutional structures began to be synonymous with the communities that they supported. Ultimately, this institutional power was embodied in the physical brick-and-mortar buildings and “church” came to refer to the institutions of Christianity instead of the community they engendered.