(RNS) — After Becky Hope left the evangelical church she had been attending in Portland, Oregon, four years ago, she began watching online services at an ecumenical church in New York City — just for a little while, she figured, until she found something closer to home.
But after a few months, Hope, 40, found that the digital experience was as fulfilling as any she has had, especially after the church — Good Shepherd New York — began a small group for people watching online from the Pacific Northwest.
“I just fully fell in love and found a community within the digital space, which was not expected,” said Hope, describing Good Shepherd as a place where she has has felt “seen and known.”…