Christmas Eve services continue as another COVID wave looms
Gary White|The Ledger
Christmas Eve is a time when churcheswelcome visitors who might not enter their sanctuaries often or at all throughout the year.
As Polk County churchesprepareto host both familiar and infrequent congregants for yuletide services,they face the prospect of entry by an unwanted intruder: the newest variant of the coronavirus.
Theomicronvarianthasquickly emerged as the dominantstrainof the virus in much of the country. As ofWednesday, omicron accounted for about 75% of all new infections in the United States, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
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Just two weeks ago, Polk County and Florida were reporting their lowest levels of COVID-19 cases and positivity rates since before the summer surge spawned bythedeltavariant.But omicron, initially identifiedinSouth Africa,hasexpanded worldwide atastaggeringpace.
The CDC listed PolkCounty’s threat of transmission as “substantial” on Wednesday,measuring66 cases per 100,000 residents.The threshold for a hi transmission threat is 100 cases per 100,000.The CDC recommends that everyone in Polk County wear a mask in public,indoor settings.
The county’s positivity rate had risen to 4.18% by Wednesday.
Church warns members about dangers of omicron variant
As he prepared to host a series of Christmas Eve services, Senior Pastor David McEntireof First United Methodist Church in Lakeland saidhisoffice sent out anoticetothe church family warning about the dangers of the new variant.
“Sowe have an email going out this week to everybody saying we strongly recommend the wearing of masks for any indoor activities,”McEntire said.
“We're very fortunate that a large number of our church is vaccinated, and they tend to be very cautious anyway. Theyjust they get it. They naturally start wearing masks when it's necessary.”
Health authoritieswarnedthat omicron appears to be even more contagious than delta, which drove a wave of hospitalizations and deaths in Polk County in late summer. It isn't yet clear if omicronis as likelyas the previous variantsto causesevere symptoms or death.
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Many churches in Polk Countyceasedholding communal services in summer 2020, whenthefirst wave the coronavirus swept through Florida. Most churchesresumedholding services in person by fall 2020 and have continued to do so since then, even amid the delta spikein August and September.
Most larger churches, including Lakeland’s First United Methodist, also broadcast services onlineforcongregants who don't feel comfortablecoming to the sanctuary.
First United Methodist also adopted a custom of holding services outside on its lawn near LakeMorton. The church is still doing that, andone ofFriday’sChristmas Eve serviceswill be held on the lawn.
With five services planned, ranging from 5 p.m. to 11 p.m., McEntiresaid there will be plenty ofopportunityforthose who attend to maintain safe distancing.
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McEntirenoted that the first principle of Wesleyanism, thefoundationoftheMethodist denomination,is “Do no harm.”
“I know for me and for my other pastors,we'll all fully vaccinated and boosted,” he said. “We’vedone that all along, and there's two reasons. One is(to)protect the people we serve. The other is(to)protect ourselves and our families. And that's really the way we speak about it as a church,that one of the aspects of being a Christian is doing no harm and loving the neighbors.”
McEntire saidthat he considers science to be a gift from God, and he and other church leaders pay attention to health recommendationsthat are based on science. He said he understands that Americans, including members of his congregation, are weary of pandemicprecautionsafter nearly two years, but he is mindful of the grave danger thatCOVIDcan present.
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“Ihave probably done 10 funerals of people who died of COVID or COVID complications,”McEntire said. “I don't want todo anymore.”
Victory Church, one of Polk county's largest congregations,wellholdoneservice at 6:30 p.m. on Christmas Eve. Senior Pastor Dan McBride said hehadn'tgotten any indication as ofMonday that news of the omicron variantmightdepressattendance.
“We really don'tknow;we just don't know,” McBride said. “So many people are looking to have some refuge,to have some joy,during the Christmas season,and we certainly want to want to be able to offer that. But,again,I am sure there are some who will be cautious and some who seriously need to be cautious because of their personal health and things like that.”
Church leaders aware of predictions over spread of virus
McBride said that church leaders areawarepredictions about the virus’ spread but do not plan any changes intheirapproach to services asofone day.He said attendance in person is still only about 70% of what it was before the pandemic.
“We have a pretty big sanctuary,” McBride said. “So there's lots of room, including the balcony and everything, to social distance, and we have multiple services.Sofor anybody who wants to stay separated, there's lots of room to do that.”
McBride said the church still refrains from passing offering plates through pewsand is not encouragingthose attending services to turn and greet people sitting near them, as was thecustombefore COVID-19.Victory church makes masks and handsanitizersavailable to congregants.
“Andsowe’re giving people an opportunity, but it's up to them to choose what they would like to do,”McBridesaid.
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Senior Pastor Steven Harness of First Baptist Church in Winter Haven said he was encouraged by reports on Fox News suggesting the omicron variant might beless dangerous than delta, even though health experts say it is much more contagious. Medical authorities say it is still too early to determine ifomicron will cause less severe symptomsthanprevious variants did.
Harness’ church will hold its traditional candlelight service Christmas Eve at 6 p.m. He said that he had not planned any changes for future services as of Tuesday.
“That doesn't mean in the future something wouldn’tchange,” he said. “But I would be a proponent of the factof how you hear, ‘Listen to the science,’ and sorather than just reacting in such a way that would be unhealthy for churches and individuals that have been isolated from their community, the church community, (a better approach)is to wait and make sure that there'sareason for it.”
Harness estimated thatattendance at services is now 60% to 70% what it was before the pandemic struck. He said he hasn't yet gotten any sense that church members are especially worried about the new variant.
“From my perspective, we're all fighting sicknesses every year at this time,” he said. “Everybody, of course, is trying to find what their —what's the word? —their boundary is on it affecting living their life, because you can't stop because of colds or even flu season.”
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St. Mark Missionary continuing to hold off on in-person services
Rev. Clevester Oliver of St. Mark Missionary Baptist Church in Bartow is taking a much different approach. His church has not held services in personsincelast summer, and Oliver said it's unclear when the congregation willgathertogether again.
Oliver said St. Mark does not traditionally hold a Christmas Eve service. Oliver switched to virtual services last winter amidthe deadly surge in COVID cases. He resumed communal services for Father's Day but reverted back to the virtual format asthedelta variant spawnedanother wave in late summer.
St. Mark hasonly 20 to 30 congregants, Oliver said, and some of them are elderly. He said that makes him especially cautious about potentially exposing church memberstothe virus.
"Iwas looking at the first of the year (for resuming), but even now that’s kind of up in the air,” Oliver said.
The pastor said he is not discouraged aboutthesituation.
“My feeling is we can still be the church,” he said. “It’s not the building. We can still be the churchthe best way that we can.”
Gary White can be reached at gary.white@theledger.com or 863-802-7518. Follow on Twitter @garywhite13.
