LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- City leaders tried to change the spirit Friday morning of some pastors in Louisville who plan to hold church services this weekend despite Gov. Andy Beshear's pleas to cancel worship to fight the spread of COVID-19.

It worked in the case of St. Stephen, Kentucky's largest African American church. At 6 p.m. Friday, the baptist church which hosts six services across three campuses in Louisville, Hardin County and Jeffersonville, Indiana, said it would only do online worship Sunday at 9:30 a.m.

“Christians are called upon to be good citizens and cooperate with elected officials," St. Stephen Senior Pastor Rev. Dr. Kevin Cosby said in a prepared statement. "We respect the wisdom of our governor and mayor and will terminate our weekend services.”

The call to cancel worship tests finances and faith.

"Literally, churches are living week-to-week if they don't have those resources coming in from the week. Potentially, some will be out of business next week," Metro Louisville Chief of Community Building Vincent James said while speaking to the Interdenominational Ministerial Coalition on Friday. "That's the reality we're dealing with, but we also have to think about ... the health of our congregates, because if we don't take care of them they may not be around."

The IMC met at Antioch Baptist Church and included most of the predominantly African American churches in Louisville. Metro Councilwoman Keisha Dorsey, who holds a masters in public health, gave a thorough presentation on the risks of holding service. She reminded church leaders about the potential vulnerability of some of their churches' more elderly members who suffer from chronic illnesses. They warned that some of the hugs and handshakes that often come with fellowship can also carry an unintended consequence: infection by the coronavirus.

She encouraged the church leaders to "move in solidarity."

Yet in the room, there was still a divide.

"I look at my ushers. They're not going to be there," said Eric French, pastor of Antioch Missionary Baptist Church. "I looked at some of my deacons. They're not going to be there. I look at my father who has had kidney cancer and is a diabetic, and I asked him not to come. Then I just thought about everyone in the congregation, and I made the decision that I thought it was the best decision not to hold church on Sunday, and that was an extremely hard decision."

While French Johnson canceled his church, his cousin, Alyce French Johnson, Pastor of Oak Grove Baptist Church, said she would hold one more week of worship to provide her members information on the coronavirus.

"I think we need the opportunity to have a face-to-face with the people to let them know God has not forgotten us, and we will continue to minster to their needs," French Johnson said. 

The request to suspend service forces some faith leaders to evolve the way they interact with members. French Johnson said she would spend the coming days looking at online platforms for tithes and offering and streaming options to provide the good word online. 

Church groups of many denominations struggled with the call to end in-person worship. Kentucky’s largest church, Southeast Christian Church, originally said it would stay open but reversed that decision Thursday, opting to only do online worship.

Catholic Churches will continue services. The Archdioceses of Louisville sent a message to parishes listing prevention efforts to fight the spread of COVID-19:

First, we continue to urge hand washing, sanitizing of vessels, and offering the signs of peace in various ways that does not involve physical contact.

 These precautions involve continued prudence and common sense:

  • Priests, deacons, ministers of Holy Communion, and altar servers must always wash their hands before Mass begins, and they should use an alcohol-based anti-bacterial solution of at least 60% alcohol before and after distributing Holy Communion. 
  • Ensure that all vessels used at Mass, once purified, are thoroughly washed with soap and hot water after each use.
  • Parishes should determine and communicate ways to share the sign of peace that does not involve physical contact.

Second, due to Covid-19 now being in our area, parishes should suspend distribution of Holy Communion to the faithful through the chalice.  (Please consider options for parishioners with celiac disease or sensitivity.)

"We go," St. Gabriel the Archangel member Tim McGinty said. "We'll be somewhere (at church) this weekend, and my family will go."

But those catholic fish frys, a lent tradition, is now hit and miss. Friday will be the last fish fry at McGinty's church. He said three more were scheduled through Lent but canceled due to those COVID-19 concerns. Organizers said it's about a $50,000 fundraising loss to the parish.

"It hurts a lot," McGinty said. "This money helps in many way for the school, the students and in the classroom." 

For those that don't comply with the request to end service Counilwoman Dorsey put forward four recommendation:

  • Keep church doors open.
  • Consider multiple services to lessen crowds and help with social distancing.
  • Create an isolation strategy should a member fall ill.
  • Add a special seating section for members at higher risk of contracting the virus.

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