Local Churches Respond to Coronavirus Pandemic

As confirmed COVID-19 cases continue to rise across the nation, places of worship in the metro are taking precautions

FARGO, N.D. — Although low church attendance isn’t usually good news for pastors, things are a bit different this Sunday.

“I think that’s a good sign because I think people are making good, solid decisions for their own health and they know what’s best for them,” says Pastor Ray Baker of Faith United Methodist Church in Fargo.

Baker says the number of people attending services at Faith United has been cut roughly in half.

The CDC has recommended avoiding mass gatherings and maintaining distance from others when possible, as the coronavirus spreads from person-to-person.

“I think people are aware of the importance of not being in a large group of people right now,” says Baker.

Although the church isn’t closing its doors to worshipers, the adjustments it’s making start right there.

“When you come in the front door, we’re not shaking hands anymore. We usually have a time of welcoming and greeting where we walk around the sanctuary and shake each others’ hands and say hello, and we still greeted each other, but asked not to shake hands,” he says. “We even made the simple change of not passing the offering plates through the rose anymore, but instead we place those outside the door of the sanctuary.”

The Catholic Diocese of Fargo is also making some changes.

“We’ve stopped giving communion wine with the chalice. We have asked communion participants to take communion in the hand. We’ve asked our priests, our deacons and our Eucharistic ministers to thoroughly wash their hands before mass, use a sanitizer before communion and after communion,” says Fargo Catholic Diocese Communications Director Paul Braun.

The Diocese has also waived Mass attendance obligations for Catholics in the area.

Both churches are either streaming or televising their services for those who’d prefer to stay at home.

They say they hope worshipers seeking normalcy during these uncertain times still can, only now with more options of how they do so.

You can view online Fargo Faith United Methodist Church worship services by visiting their Facebook page.

Find more information on how to access Fargo Diocese television programming by clicking this link.