Christian Missionaries Find New Virtual Mission Territory
Ten figures stand in a circle inside a Japanese-style penthouse. The lights are low. A white stormtrooper huddles beside a large, orange cat, who bows his head and clears his throat. ‘Father God, just thank you for this opportunity to go and reach out to people who need you,’ said the cat, in the voice of Curt Curtis, a Christian missionary in his 60s from Texas.
For three years, Christian missionaries with the evangelical organization Cru have gathered every Friday in VRChat, a popular social platform where millions of people from around the world interact through avatars resembling anime characters, animals, robots and humans. Users can explore thousands of virtual worlds where they talk, flirt, play games and, in the missionaries’ case, spread the gospel.
