As the world emerges from the long shadow of the COVID-19 pandemic, many churches are still wrestling with the spiritual and communal consequences of the decisions made during lockdowns. Pastor Dr. Benjamin Giffone, author of A House Divided: Technology, Worship, and Healing the Church After COVID, joined Chicago’s Morning Answer to offer a thoughtful critique of how the American church responded—and how it can heal.
Interviewed by hosts Amy Jacobson and John Anthony, Giffone reflected on the early days of the pandemic, when uncertainty led many congregations to follow public health directives without question. While some churches, like Anthony’s, remained open and defied state orders, Giffone observed that many others defaulted to compliance—often out of fear of being labeled anti-science.
“There was a desire among many church leaders, especially in evangelical spaces, to be seen as aligned with scientific consensus,” Giffone said. But he argued this led some pastors to overlook the spiritual and communal costs of prolonged closure.
Giffone’s book doesn’t just assess missteps. It’s a call to reconciliation. He urges churches to honestly acknowledge where they went wrong—whether that was closing for too long, enforcing divisive mandates, or failing to support hurting congregants. Without that, he believes, trust cannot be rebuilt.
The conversation also addressed the shift to digital worship, which Giffone said has been a mixed blessing. While online sermons can be useful tools, he contends they are no substitute for in-person worship, which includes community, fellowship, and sacraments that cannot be replicated through a screen. “We are embodied beings,” he said. “Sitting on a couch with a livestream isn’t the same as singing together, praying together, or taking communion.”
Drawing from both theological principles and personal experience—including his time in Lithuania during the pandemic—Giffone emphasized that churches must resist the temptation to view worship as a convenience rather than a commitment. He noted that some European countries were more draconian than the U.S. in certain respects but offered more nuance, such as recognizing natural immunity. Meanwhile, many churches in both Europe and the U.S. failed to maintain their role as sanctuaries for the hurting.
Jacobson and Anthony, both critical of extended closures, echoed the frustrations of many churchgoers who felt abandoned by their spiritual leaders during the pandemic. Giffone agreed that trust was broken in many congregations, but maintained that healing is still possible. “The hope of the gospel,” he said, “is that even in our failures, there is forgiveness, restoration, and grace.”
House Divided is published by the Libertarian Christian Institute, an organization focused on promoting liberty-minded theology. Giffone invited listeners to use the book as a tool for dialogue—between pastors and parishioners, and among congregants who may still be carrying unspoken wounds.
In a time when many churches are still facing attendance struggles and spiritual disconnection, Giffone’s message is both a challenge and an invitation: tell the truth, seek forgiveness, and rebuild the church as a stronger, more faithful community.