Facebook introduces products for religious activities amid COVID-19.

Facebook has introduced new products to enable religious activities to continue amid the global Coronavirus lockdown.

The new Faith on Facebook Resource Hub and Faith on Facebook toolkit will help religious leaders create an online community since they cannot meet in groups.

This will, therefore, help religious leaders adhere to lockdown rules to prevent the spread of Coronavirus.

The Regional Director of Facebook Africa, Nuhu Ntshingila in a statement said the company launched these platforms due to challenges religious leaders have been facing.

She said “At a time like this, our mission has never been more relevant, to give people the power to build community and bring the world closer together.

“We know that faith leaders across Africa are grappling with the unexpected challenges in serving their members digitally, and we’re committed to providing them with the resources and tools to support them as much as possible.”

She added that “Our ultimate goal is to equip faith-based communities with the tools to help them continue faith conversations throughout the pandemic.”

Other tools provided by Facebook for Faith-based organizations include:

• Facebook Pages: This allows an active and engaged audience of faith communities. Leaders can post interesting content, create events and using Groups for discussions.
• Facebook Groups: Groups allow people to come together around a common cause, discussing issues and ideas, posting photos and sharing related content.
• Facebook Events: Host virtual events using Facebook Events to spread the word.
• Utilizing WhatsApp: Consider sending bite-sized sermons or recordings through the voice note feature on WhatsApp to members, using either the dedicated broadcast list function or creating a New Group list.
• Watch Party: Host a Watch Party for your Group, choosing videos that are relevant to your community and invite members to join and discuss.
• Facebook Live: Stream live events and performances in real-time, utilizing interactive features such as reactions, shares, and comments enabling you to further engage your audience.

Ntshingila explained that Facebook’s role in society has become more essential than ever.