How the Covid-19 pandemic closed 2000-year-old doors. : A case study about the Christian Churches Covid-19 pandemic crisis management and what affect it had on the parish members.

Abstract: This study discusses the Christian churches crisis management in one of modern time´s most expansive and deadly pandemics, Covid-19. The main purpose of the study is to find out if the churches were equipped with a crisis management plan to handle an external crisis of this magnitude. The thesis also studies to what extent it affected the parishes and their members. The dissertation as well aims to find out whether other actors or decisions could have led to a milder impact on the Church, but also their parish members. Other aspects investigated were emotional and social impacts of active/paused church activities, and whether digital services would replace the physical Sunday services to a degree.The study employs qualitative methods and social and crisis management theories to explore the topic. Anonymous in-depth interviews with church personnel and parish members allowed deep and honest conversations, providing rich data for analysis. Analysis of the discussions in the interviews demonstrated that the churches were not ready to handle the Covid-19 crisis. The research also presents the importance of faith in hard times and the value of faith in the parish members lives.The results indicate that a great sadness arose among many members in this crisis. Not only because you could not go to God's house to pray, but because many isolated themselves during the pandemic, which led to poor health, specifically among families with children and the elderly.