May 2022
Beyond the Pews

The Ultimate ‘Online’ Church

Sean Steele

At the end of February, a group of 23 people, lay and ordained, gathered together for what was perhaps the first ever Anglican liturgy inside the Metaverse. A collaboration between TryTank and St. Isidore Episcopal Church in Spring, Texas, this missional community, named Web3 Abbey, met for five consecutive Mondays. Its carefully curated online liturgy included music, prayer, scripture reading and discussion, a confession and benediction.

The community then gathered to learn, share stories and refine the communal experience. In the vlog below, the Rev. Sean Steele takes us on a guided tour of Web3 Abbey’s online worship experience and shares insight into the benefits and the challenges of building a community in a virtual world.

Web3 Abbey begins gathering again on a regular basis starting this month. If you are interested in learning more or participating in Web3 Abbey, please send an email to web3abbey@gmail.com.

The Rev. Sean Steele is Vicar and founding Church Planter of St. Isidore Episcopal, a 5-year-old community in Spring, Texas. Sean is always on the lookout for people left out by how we traditionally gather as Church. He received a BBA-Finance from the University of Texas (2001), an MA in Theology from Creighton University (2005), an MDiv from The Seminary of the Southwest (2012), and is a fully trained Mediator (2007), Licensed Daring Way Facilitator (2014) and ICF Coach (2018). Sean and his wife Rebecca have been together for almost 20 years, and they have three children – Margo, Sebastian, and Eleanor – and a Labradoodle named Indiana Jones. Sean loves all things related to athletics, particularly basketball, and is an avid Longhorn fan.

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This article is part of the May 2022 Vestry Papers issue on Beyond the Pews
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