Coronavirus: Churches Cancel Live Worship, Offer Live Streaming

TAMPA, FL — As fears over the spread of coronavirus mount, some Florida churches are canceling live worship and opting to live stream its services.

Hyde Park United Methodist Church announced Saturday that it is suspending live worship services and all other activities at both the Hyde Park campus, 1001 N. Florida Ave., and The Portico campus, 500 W. Platt St., until further notice.

Instead, the church will use its live video streaming capabilities for online worship.

"During these extraordinary times of this global coronavirus pandemic, we have been guided by the words of Isaiah 7:4 to 'be careful and stay calm.'" said senior pastor, the Rev. Magrey deVega. Online services will take place at 9:30 and 11 a.m. on Sundays.

Hyde Park’s Open Arms Homeless Ministry will continue in a modified format with boxed meals served outside the Harnish Activities Center on the Azeele Street side of the church campus.

The announcement comes after the Parrish United Methodist Church in Manatee County reportedthat a member of its congregation tested positive for coronavirus.

The congregation member hadn't been to church for the previous three weeks so there was minimal risk of exposure for other members of the church (the incubation period is about 21 days). According to the church's senior pastor, the Rev. Chris Schmidt, the person's most recent visit to church was not during a worship service and there was contact with only a few people.

Then, on Tuesday, Trinity United Methodist Church in Deland closed its doors after the Volusia County Health Department reported that a congregation member tested positive for the virus. According to a letter from the Rev. Todd Bardin, the church’s senior pastor, the congregation member had been on the church property within the past two weeks.

“The person was exposed to someone with a positive COVID-19 diagnosis in a travel-related setting, and is under voluntary quarantine,” Bardin wrote in the letter that was posted to Trinity’s website.

Other Florida United Methodist churches are following Hyde Park's example.

"Many of our local churches across Florida are canceling public worship on Sunday, March 15, out of an abundance of caution," said the Florida Conference of the United Methodist Church Appointive Cabinet in a statement released Friday.

"We support this action. We also support local churches who are continuing to offer public worship and taking precautionary measures. Many of our churches are offering worship in an online or live-streamed format," said the cabinet. "During this pandemic, we are exploring ways to strengthen our worship and spiritual life, our partnerships in communities, our service to the most vulnerable, and our connection through technology."

The Catholic Church has taken a similar stance, allowing individual churches to decide how best to worship during the pandemic.

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While Archbishop Thomas Wenski of the Archdiocese of Miami announced that the archdiocese will close its 41 Catholic elementary and high schools in Miami-Dade, Monroe and Broward counties starting Tuesday, he said church Masses will continue.

“If circumstances dictate in coming days that Masses be suspended, the archdiocese will make a timely announcement to that effect,” said Wenski in a statement.

However, those who choose not to participate in the Holy Communion for fear of contracting coronavirus through communal cups will be excused from the Catholic sacrament. Otherwise, Wenski said churches in the archdiocese will continue to distribute the Eucharist for the time being.

"We pray that we will be able to continue to do so; but we will be guided by prudence and the best counsel of our civil authorities and medical professionals," he said. "If circumstances dictate in coming days that Masses be suspended, the Archdiocese will make a timely announcement to that effect.

Wenski also offered dispensation to the elderly, sick and those caring for them from the holy obligation to attend Mass.

“I continue to urge prudence. Those who are sick or are tending to the sick should not come to Mass this weekend," he said. "Those who have anxiety, or are caregivers to the elderly or young children, may decide not to attend Mass. Given these extraordinary circumstances, I dispense the faithful of the Archdiocese of Miami from the obligation to attend Sunday Mass."

On the other side of the state, Bishop Gregory Parkes of the Diocese of St. Petersburg is also offering vulnerable parishioners dispensation from Mass attendance.

Additionally, he has ordered all 47 Catholic schools and early childhood centers with nearly 13,000 students in Pinellas, Hillsborough, Pasco, Hernando and Citrus counties to close Monday, March 16 through Friday, March 20. Virtual learning will be offered to students March 18 to 20.

The diocese is also advising parishioners to forgo the traditional sign of peace with a hand shake and consider receiving Communion by hand rather than on the tongue.

The church closures come during Lent, the largest religious observance in the Christian liturgical calendar. Starting on Ash Wednesday and continuing through Easter, Christian churches typically have record crowds and depend on the offerings collected during this period to support the church in the coming year.

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