Historically, actual tangible in-person meetings and door-to-door ministry have been critical in maintaining organizational cohesion and discipline...
...at least amongst average rank-and-filers.
Transitioning to an "e-church", however, can't help but undercut that somewhat for them...
...but I think the loyalists would still toe the line.
And since I suspect the Org leadership privately wants to prune the membership down to just the loyalists, this would theoretically serve that agenda.