YUBA CITY, Calif. — It was nearly midnight on a cold Thursday in October when I began the drive from the Sacramento International Airport to my hotel. Google Maps estimated the trip to be about 39 minutes. In a few hours, I would be meeting with members of the Yuba City Cornerstone Church metaverse campus for the first time in person.

As I rolled through the silent darkness of what seemed like endless miles of unlit farmland along Highway 99, I imagined what it would be like in church as I sped toward the lights of the small town where wild chickens roam free.

The church, led by Pastor Jason Poling, had planned a weekend of activities that would include…