To prevent the spread of the coronavirus at churches, Montezuma County Department of Public Health recommends services be held electronically.
The Health Department strongly discourages drive-up or parking lot services at house of worship facilities, according to a news release.
“The act of traveling to a place of worship does not adhere to the Governor’s Stay at Home Order and monitoring of the event to ensure there is no physical interaction between participants is not guaranteed,” according to the release. “Valuing the sanctity of life and protecting the lives of our families, elders and community members should be at the forefront of any decision made to attend a religious service outside the home.”
Livestreamed events on social medial platforms or through video conferencing is the new norm during the pandemic. And local churches are adjusting.
Pastor Doug Bleyle, of St. Barnabas Episcopal Church, said the church has held three services so far on Zoom, an online video conferencing platform, and it has gone well.
Attendance has been good, he said, but there was a learning curve for the church and congregation.
“We walked everyone through the steps of setting up and learned to mute everybody tuning in to prevent background noise,” Bleyle said.
Parishioners can listen in via phone or watch a livestream video from their internet device at home.
While delivering the sermon, Bleyle sits in front of a camera at the empty church in view of the alter with lit candles.
“We’re still learning all the features. People have been understanding and mindful of the restrictions because of the crisis,” he said. “They appreciate the opportunity to stay connected and pray together through this video format.”
Attendance at the services has been in the 30s, down from regular church gatherings of 40 to 50.
The pandemic’s social restrictions have forced groups to rely on internet services, but it has also revealed the digital divide between cities and rural areas, Bleyle said.
“People can still call in without a computer. One of our elders said it was the first time she went to church sitting at her kitchen table drinking a cup of coffee,” he said.
Church members are given passwords to access the Zoom livestream to prevent hackers – Zoom bombers – who join and disrupt meetings uninvited.
The features of livestream video formats also allow the host to be innovative by posting psalms, video clips and spiritual talking points.
Churches nationwide face a budget crunch, like other groups.
Livestream services don’t have the traditional passing of the donation basket. A virtual basket through internet platforms such as PayPal is being used more by churches.
Bleyle misses the energy of everyone being together in the church and the spontaneity of interaction. Praying together at a distance is appropriate at this point, he said, and can be just as meaningful.
Not gathering for Easter services is especially hard. When things return to normal, St. Barnabas Episcopal plans a resurrection service to honor the rebirth of the traditional church gathering.
“We are in a period of being suspended right now, and when we all return there will be a celebration of the newness of life,” he said. “We are prepared and can weather this with God.”
jmimiaga@the-journal.com