In the midst of coronavirus fears, Fort Worth church stays open to ‘provide strength’
On Sunday mornings, St. John’s Church in Fort Worth is usually packed with parishioners.
About 400 families are members of the church in Ryan Place, where people both in the neighborhood and from out of town can attend 8 a.m., 9 a.m. or 11:15 a.m. services.
But this Sunday morning, about 20 people sat in the pews, most spaced out from one another. The 9 a.m. service had about 40 attendees instead of the usual 120 people. A crossing guard stood on the sidewalk outside the church in a slight drizzle of rain, but there were few pedestrians or cars to direct.
Many churches have canceled services as health experts and government officials stress the importance of social distancing and staying home. Dallas prohibited crowds of over 500 people from gathering.
On Sunday, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommended that for the next eight weeks, organizers cancel or postpone events that have 50 people or more nationwide. The CDC has said there is more to learn about how the respiratory disease is transmitted.
Tarrant County Judge Glen Whitley declared a local public health emergency disaster on Friday, and encouraged gatherings of more than 250 people to cancel events and services, including those at churches and places of worship. As of Sunday, four cases of coronavirus were confirmed in Tarrant County.
But Pastor David Klein said it was important to keep St. John’s Church open Sunday to give people a space to worship. He said if anyone felt uncomfortable, they did not have to attend.
He said the chances of someone catching coronavirus at church were small.
“I am not worried about that, because I’m not concerned that that is a place where the virus is going to be transmitted,” Klein said.
He said people could choose where to sit and create their own distance from one another and people “come with their hands washed.”
“The church exists by God’s grace to provide healing and to provide the salvation and strength that we need,” Klein said. “There is not going to be anything there that is going to create problems for people.”
‘I can’t imagine not going to church’
Hugh Partin, 76, and Ron Schumann, 75, were the ushers for Sunday’s service. They stood in the back of the church, handing people Bibles and bulletins as they walked in the wooden doors.
Partin said he did not think St. John’s church should have stayed open or held services, but since he had signed up to be the usher that day, he felt compelled to attend.
Partin said they sanitized the church and were not shaking people’s hands. When asked if he was worried about getting sick, he said he was not touching people and was being cautious.
Schumann said he has lung cancer and started radiation last week, which “put things in perspective.”
“I’ve got other things going on that is more serious (than coronavirus),” he said. “I’m already sick.”
Partin said the church still being open helped some people, and everybody could make their own choice about whether to come to church.
“There are certain people that need to have a place to go worship,” he said.
Christina, 69, and Michael Pavlosky, 62, sat in the middle of a pew near the back of the church. Christina Pavlosky said she was christened at St. John’s and had attended the church her whole life.
“I can’t imagine not going to church on Sunday,” she said.
She said they disposed of the holy water in the church so people were not dipping their hands in it and were taking other precautions.
“We’re elderly, but we’re in good health,” she said about herself and her husband.
Liam Estes, 19, sat in a back pew, paging through a Bible. He said he did not feel like he should change his routine or “live in fear” because of COVID-19. He said he does not want to get sick, but he’s washing his hands and keeping clean and feels safe.
“I don’t think we should cause hysteria and people are freaking out, and that almost is like a virus that spreads,” he said.
Klein said many members were grateful St. John’s was open, especially people from out of town like Mineral Wells and Colleyville.
Many DFW churches chose to close on Sunday and live-streamed services instead.
Trinity Episcopal Church canceled its Sunday service and closed its building after a priest tested presumptive positive for a case of COVID-19. The Rev. Dr. Robert Pace, and hundreds of others, watched a live-stream of the church service Sunday morning, the church said on itstheir website.
This story was originally published March 15, 2020 at 6:48 PM.
