The virtual church redefining religion for the internet age: Watch as pastor BAPTIZES a pink-haired anime girl in VR while Tigger and a talking banana look on
- DJ Soto runs VR Church, a religious service that exists entirely on virtual reality
- The pastor streams sermons every Sunday in different virtual environments
- He's also conducted several virtual reality baptisms over the last year
- In the latest example, Soto baptized YouTuber Drumsy in a virtual bathhouse
In a corner of the internet dominated by co-op shooters and open world exploration, a pastor with a knack for virtual reality has laid the roots for the unlikely intersection of religion and gaming.
D.J. Soto has been running what’s said to be the first virtual reality church, where gamers from all walks of life are invited to ‘learn about God, faith, and science.’
It exists entirely in the virtual realm, offering hour-long streams every Sunday for an online congregation made up of equal parts robots and human avatars.
And, it’s even become a place for those looking to be cleansed of their sins.
A bizarre video shared this week by YouTuber Syrmor shows what it’s like to be baptized in VR, complete with an audience of cartoon characters and an anime girl ‘immersed in divine love.’
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Pastor D.J. Soto has been running what’s said to be the first virtual reality church , where gamers from all walks of life are invited to ‘learn about God, faith, and science’
Soto, an ordained minister, has been conducting VR baptisms for roughly a year, he tells Syrmor and VRChat reporter, Drumsy.
The conversation is set in the clouds, and the virtual sun can be seen setting in the distance behind an idyllic, pink-leafed tree.
Apart from its whimsical setting and audience members, however, the baptism itself is as serious and thoughtful as any other.
‘It really is a spiritual moment,’ Soto tells Drumsy, the pink-haired character receiving the cleansing, as the group shifts to an indoor virtual bathhouse.
‘I think maybe some people think of it as maybe a religious ritual, and that’s fine too, but this is something that has spiritual significance to it.’
While a typical baptism may be a hands-on experience, the person in this case is responsible for lowering their own body into the virtual water as Soto instructs from beside. They then remain submerged for a full minute.
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‘When you go underwater, that symbolizes that your spiritual cells are soaking in divine love and new life, and forgiveness and release of the old,’ Soto says during the virtual ceremony.
It’s not all serious though; there is an undeniable silliness unique to the VR experience that comes with this type of baptism.
Moments after it all wraps up, for example, the bath disappears without warning, soaked up by another character who showed up as Spongebob.
The versatility of characters and settings is something Soto fully harnesses during the weekly sermons on Mixer, allowing attendees to stand atop trees or futuristic buildings as they listen to him preach.
Thanks to virtual reality, people from all over the world can attend what Soto has dubbed a ‘new expression of church’
VR Church exists entirely in the virtual realm, offering hour-long streams every Sunday for an online congregation made up of equal parts robots and human avatars. And, it’s even become a place for those looking to be cleansed of their sins
Each meeting includes roughly 30 minutes of worship before breaking off to announcements and a chance for attendees to mingle.
Between the weekly services, Soto also streams hours of gameplay several days a week.
Thanks to virtual reality, people from all over the world can attend what Soto has dubbed a ‘new expression of church.’
Or, as his website puts it, ‘We create worlds to experience God and the Bible like never before.’
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