TOGETHER IN SPIRIT
Scattered on Easter, church focuses on hope, fellowship
SUFFOLK — Preaching to a camera and an empty room isn’t Ryan Brice’s calling. Instead, the pastor at Nansemond River Baptist Church in Suffolk focuses on the hundreds at home, coming together each Sunday to watch the live-streamed service.
On Easter, he asked the congregation to do the same.
The coronavirus pandemic has closed gathering places, including churches, preventing many from being at church on Easter for the first time.
Brice acknowledged social distancing can be isolating and take a toll on mental health, but encouraged anyone who felt alone to remember that hundreds of people in almost 200 households were scattered physically, but were together spiritually.
After the service, he said a colleague noted that this Easter may be the most celebrated ever because of churches using digital tools and becoming virtually accessible to anyone with the means to connect to the stream.
“Churches everywhere have done their best to make the best of a bad situation,” he said.
Viewers of the church’s Easter service tuned in from 13
states. The virtual environment also brought some people back to the church — Brice said he’s been in touch with a former member who relocated to San Diego but reconnected to Nansemond River because his new church has been unable to do live streams.
Nansemond River has conducted services largely the same as usual as its doors have been closed. Brice said he simplifies his messages a bit because he knows it can be harder to draw meaning from a screen than in-person interaction.
He drew from the pandemic, advising the congregation members to look to the gospel if they feel fearful while hearing news about the pandemic’s toll. The Easter story of Jesus’ death and his resurrection is one of hope and faith, Brice said. He encouraged members to focus on their faith to stay strong and resolute in a challenging time and draw hope for the day that the virus has passed.
The worship music reinforced the messages of the sermon while also a yearning for freedom. Throughout the service, the church showed multimedia elements, including links to readings and a professionally produced introduction video. At the end, viewers were invited to go to a website to submit prayer requests.
Robert Munden, a member of the church, said it was a blessing to have the technology to worship from home. He said it was different, but enjoyed the time to sit with his family and connect to church.
Along with Sunday service, Munden said he’s participated in small groups with the church for fellowship and also to identify places the church may be able to help or provide for others.
In the comments of the live Facebook stream, members checked in, reporting how many members of the family were there watching. They chimed in with an “Amen” when Brice made resonant points.
“Awesome service. Enjoyed, but missed the fellowship of our members,” one viewer commented, “Awaiting the return of our people’s time together.”
“Churches everywhere have done their best to make the best of a bad situation.”
— Ryan Brice, pastor at Nansemond River Baptist Church