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Author ORCID Identifier

https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7977-5594

Abstract

The article analyzes the statistics of Ukrainian Protestant digital activity. The key indicator of Ukrainian Protestant digital outreach is the increased number of livestreams in different styles and formats. I use “All-Ukrainian Sobor” NGO’s YouTube livestreams catalog as a working statistic model. In the course of study, two peaks in the overall number of views of all videos of a given YouTube channel were singled out. These peaks were (1) from 500K to 100K and (2) from 50K to 10K. Analysis of the views rating of a single YouTube channel proved to be somewhat random and non-indicative; nevertheless, views number enables a Church to draw attention to its activity online. Analysis of the recent history of Church YouTube channels showed two other peaks: in the years 2013-15 (Euromaidan, annexation of Crimea and armed conflict at Donbas) and the year 2020 (COVID-19 pandemic), proving that Ukrainian Protestants react at least to the main societal tendencies. For those believers, livestreams became a relatively appealing instrument, actively used since 2017-19. Though Baptists and Pentecostals outnumber Adventists, the latter accumulates existing staff, financial, and technological resources more successfully. This is noticeable in the work of TV Hope Channel UA, affiliated with Adventists. As a context for the study, a survey among Ukrainian Baptist ministers conducted during the current pandemic is cited. The survey showed that (1) middle-aged Protestant ministers have a stable demand for consuming information online, (2) they are present at social networks firstly as owners of personal accounts, whereas Church pages tend to fall behind, (3) almost two-thirds of surveyed congregations livestream their regular services, and (4) this practice needs stable activists and a strategic vision.

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