Past Life
EUGENE, Ore -- As coronavirus continues to spread across the world, religious leaders are tapping into new technologies to hold services and many couples are holding off on tying the knot.
Steve Goble is the lead pastor at Ekklesia, a non-denominational church in Eugene. He said their congregation is around 1,200 people and they hold services at Cal Young Middle School.
He's now preaching at the church's office after staff set up a studio with lights and a camera.
"We say a lot of times in church that you're really preaching or your're singing to an audience of one, which is god, and so you really have to remind yourself of that when you're speaking to a camera," Goble said.
Goble said they livestream their services to Facebook, Youtube, and more. He said they are seeing people from all over the country watch them.
Reverend Nancy Gallagher is with The Episcopal Church of St. John the Divine In Springfield. She said they are working to do something similar. While their food bank is still open, they are not holding any services, including weddings and funerals.
"To just not worship together is heartbreaking," Gallagher said. "To not be able to provide the chance to grieve together, it would be very hard."
Goble said he's still willing to do funerals and weddings, as long as they follow the governor's orders.
But Jake Williams and his fiancee Katie Johnson are holding off on tying the knot. They were planning to get married on May 2 at Camp Lane in front of 100 of their closest friends and family.
"It sucks, it's horrible," Williams said. "We've been looking forward to this for a long six, seven, eight months now."