How do religious and spiritual communities manifest online, offline, locally and globally?

Rabbi Esther Lederman is the director of congregational innovation for the Union for Reform Judaism.

Jihad Turk is the president of Bayan Claremont Islamic Graduate School and a regular commentator on issues affecting the Muslim community in the United States. He previously served as director of religious affairs for the Islamic Center of Southern California, the largest mosque in Los Angeles.

The Rev. Kodo Umezu is the socho, or bishop, of the Buddhist Churches of America. He previously served as director of the Center for Buddhist Education in Berkeley, California.

JR Woodward is the national director of the V3 Movement, an organization that prepares church planters to launch new faith communities. He previously led churches in Virginia and Los Angeles.

D.J. Soto leads VR Church, a faith community that worships in virtual reality. He partners with faith leaders in other countries to offer five different services on Sundays.

Jeremy Smith is a substance abuse and mental health therapist who writes about the relationship between religion and technology for Church Mag. He has written and vlogged about the role of religion in the video game Minecraft, describing his own experience building religious spaces within the world of the game. Reach out to Smith with […]

AJ Smith is the lead pastor of Restoration Church in Philadelphia. His efforts to launch the congregation were featured on season eight of the “StartUp” podcast.

The Rev. Elizabeth D. Rios is the board chairwoman and vice president of Plant 4 Harvest, an organization that trains church planters and urban missionaries. She is an expert on church planting within the Latino community.