Update: Religious organizations in Modesto handling coronavirus outbreak in different ways
Religious organizations contacted in Modesto are approaching the coronavirus outbreak in significantly varying ways, from simply providing hand sanitizer and suggesting less person-to-person touching to some churches holding Sunday services online only.
Big Valley Grace Community Church will hold its services online, telling members not to go to either its Modesto or Ceres campuses, Executive Pastor Bobby Kirchner said Thursday.
The church is following Gov. Gavin Newsom’s recommendation to cancel gatherings of 250 or more, Kirchner said in a follow-up email. So Saturday and Sunday services will be streamed online at bigvalleygrace.org/live.
“At this time, we will continue our normal schedule of all other ministries throughout the week,” Kirchner’s email said, including Big Valley Christian School’s preschool through 12th grade classes.
“We are and will continue to follow the guidance of the California Department of Public Health as it relates to schools,” he said.
Similarly, The House in Modesto will hold its services online only.
“I want you to stay home and we’re going to follow this thing out,” Pastor Glen Berteau said in a video message posted on the church website. “We’re not going to have any fear, because of course we don’t have any fear with God.”
Crosspoint Community Church also will hold services online rather than at its downtown Modesto campus, according to a video post on its website by Lead Pastor Matt Whiteford.
Meanwhile, at Centenary United Methodist Church in Modesto, Pastor Bob Collins said they are taking “all the precautions that are wise to take.”
“We’re trying not to be controlled by fear,” he said. The church does not meet the 250 number cancellation threshold.
Centenary is providing hand sanitizer for members and also wiping things down in the church with sanitizing wipes between services, Collins said.
And those who are not feeling well, preschool teachers and others on staff, are being told to stay home, “even if it’s just a common cold.”
“Let’s do everything wise,” he said. “Let’s not be foolish, let’s not be dictated by fear, either.”
Leaders at the Roman Catholic Diocese of Stockton discussed response to the coronavirus Thursday, according to Dyan Hollenhorst, chancellor of the diocese.
While Masses will not be canceled, Bishop Myron Cotta has “granted a dispensation for members of the faithful from the obligation to attend Mass on Sunday,” she said.
“If you feel you are at risk and you are unable to attend, that will be fine. You don’t have that obligation on you at this time,” she said.
Catholic churches also will remove holy water from fonts and will not offer the cup, or Blood of Christ, during Mass. They also will not hold the sign of peace portion of the Mass, where parishioners shake hands.
Communion will be offered in the Host, or Body of Christ, but parishioners are strongly encouraged to take the Host in their hands rather than by tongue, Hollenhorst said.
Nonessential Masses and events, such as confirmations and a youth conference that had been planned Saturday in Modesto, will be postponed, she said.
Catholic schools remain open in the diocese, Hollenhorst said, but they are closely monitoring what local schools in each parish community are doing and likely will follow suit.
Redeemer Church Pastor Jim Applegate posted a Facebook message on the church website, including information on an upcoming new way to share communion.
The church has ordered individual cups that, when the top is peeled off, reveal the bread, then another piece is peeled off revealing the juice.
Applegate said they also are looking at how they might be able to stream services online to those most at risk to the virus, although that is not yet ready.
He also told members it’s OK if people prefer to not shake hands or hug at services; that there is more hand sanitizer being provided; and they are taking extra steps to keep their classrooms clean. In addition, if a child appears sick, they won’t be allowed into the classroom.
At Congregation Beth Shalom, they’re taking precautions now and – like the other organizations contacted – are preparing for more measures later, if they become necessary.
Doug Highiet, president of the congregation at CBS, said they have been adjusting their response over the past week and a half and are standing ready to adjust again.
For now, they are telling people to avoid what would be normal physical contact at the synagogue, he said: no hugging or kissing on the cheek or kissing of religious objects. There’s hand sanitizer when people walk in the door and in the social hall before food is served.
CBS Rabbi Shalom Bochner said they are also exploring further measures as the Stanislaus County Health Services Agency continues to update recommendations.
For example, if they become unable to hold public Seders, CBS is looking at ways to have people pick up food ahead of time and then log on to its website to join the Seder ritual, Bochner said.
CBS also is below the 250-person threshold to cancel regular events.
Highiet said they still are re-evaluting CBS public events, including Passover, which is a month away. Normally Passover events are open to the general public, but may be restricted to members only and possibly even a limited number of members.
Bochner said they may decide, as things progress, to only offer online Passover events.
“Community is so important and a virtual community is certainly better than no community,” Bochner said, adding it’s part of Jewish tradition to honor health.
“Saving a life is always a top priority,” he said.
This story was originally published March 12, 2020 at 3:09 PM.
