Churches find blessings in familiar and unfamiliar settings

(Sponsored content) – “The building was closed but the church was open,” Second Baptist Church Pastor Rev. Dr. Ralph Hodge said of serving his members in the midst of the pandemic, during a recent Henrico Ministers’ Conference meeting.

On June 22, five pastors from Henrico gathered virtually for a panel discussion to explore “The Blessings of Returning to the Sanctuary.” The discussion began with Henrico Ministers’ Conference president, the Rev. Zynora D. Manson, who said that the church continues to be a place of refuge and a place of hope.

“Tonight, these five pastors have come to encourage you, to share with you, to enlighten you regarding the blessings of returning to the sanctuary,” she said, “so it is our desire for you to feel safe, and that you will be empowered with information to help you make a wise choice.”

The Facebook live stream was part of the “Real Issues, Right Now Strategies” series presented by the Henrico Ministers’ Conference. The Rev. Marcus D. Martin, pastor of New Bridge Baptist Church and vice president of the Henrico Ministers’ Conference, served as a moderator for the discussion.

“For the past year, and a few months actually, because of the global pandemic,” Martin said, “churches have had to social distance, but not spiritually disconnect because much progress has been made with churches now offering virtual worship, Bible studies during the week, and for some they even have virtual choir rehearsals.”

All pastors discussed various strategies their churches implemented to ensure their members were still able to attend and feel part of the community. The Rev. Dr. James L. Sailes, the pastor of Antioch Baptist Church, interacted with his members through social media, personal visitation and phone calls to ensure they did not feel forgotten.

“We are still here together,” Sailes said. “It was a matter of enforcing and reinforcing the notion that we need to make contact through calling through email and what other avenue there was to ensure that persons felt like if they were out of sight, they were not out of mind.”

Hodge echoed this sentiment of ensuring his members felt connected and mentioned that the Second Baptist Church was able to set up a virtual choir singing, drive-bys every other week, and a feeding program every Friday. As for the transition to more in-person services, the Rev. Dr. Vincent T. Smith, senior pastor of Rising Mount Zion Baptist Church in Sandston, said he offered options to his members depending on their level of comfort.

“Ministry is about meeting needs,” Smith said. “Those who are hesitant to come back to the congregation, virtual sat with them well, and yet there was a need for those who wanted to be in-person to come in-person to church.”

The Second Baptist church vaccinated more than 500 adults and has mandated that everyone who sings and speaks during service is vaccinated, Hodge said. It's now preparing for the full congregation to return, implementing new procedures with seating, among other strategies, he said.

“Our motto is we're gonna come back safe and strong,” Hodge said. “And during COVID, the Lord gave us a word that overreaction is the right reaction. So people thought we were overreacting, but you know, we got to be safe.”

While the Second Baptist Church implemented a delayed opening approach, the Antioch Baptist Church elected not to shut its doors, Sailes said. Officials still cleaned and sprayed the sanctuary prior to the Sunday morning worship, and after the service for those who attended, he said.

“What I find to be a joy and I think a blessing in returning is the spiritual intimacy that takes place that radiates from our congregation being together,” Sailes said. “I just really can't explain it, but to have the congregation be with you in your worship, and share in one with another.”

As for protecting those who are unvaccinated, Hodge said he encourages people to consider how they would behave if they were in a vulnerable conditon themselves.

“We've got to love our neighbor, and we protect our neighbor,” Hodge said. “And sometimes it's being loving to tell someone when they're not being loving.”

But through crisis such as the pandemic can come innovation and breakthroughs, Martin said. As for the future, Bible studies will be recorded so if a member misses a session, he or she can hit the play button on their computer and be caught up to speed, Rev. Theodore T. Brown, pastor of Quioccasin Baptist Church said.

“So if they can't be there at 6:45 p.m., then that video is there for them for eternity,” Brown said.

With these options, members will never have to worry about services being cancelled due to the weather, Hodge said.

“We have now been called into utilizing our creativeness and innovativeness while remaining resilient, steadfast and unmovable,” Manson said. “Isn't it good to know that the church is more accessible now, not just to the members, but to other people locally, nationally, and globally?”