LOUISVILLE, Ky. – After Governor Andy Beshear recommended that churches cancel Sunday services, Springdale Presbyterian Church in Louisville decided to heed that advice and cancelled services until Easter on Sunday, April 13. However, the Coronavirus isn’t stopping Rev. Dwain Lee from delivering his weekly sermon. He did his first service via Facebook Live on Sunday.

“Very hard because I’m usually drawing on sort of their energy as I’m leading worship. This is going to be very different,” Lee told Spectrum News 1 prior to the Sunday service.

In the midst of organizing the church to halt services for a month, Lee didn’t have time to prepare his sermon.

“I stressed about that last night and thinking maybe I should really get something at least on paper that I can glance at, but, this is, these are different times, these are unusual times to say the least, and so I think that calls for something being much more in the moment,” Lee said.

Instead of preaching to empty pews, Lee faced his virtual audience via a cellphone mounted to a tripod. The church provided a digital bulletin so members tuning in via Facebook could singalong with the small group in church that played music and follow the bible verses read during the sermon.

“Makes you feel like you’re still part of it, even though you’re separated, you still get to go along with everything like you were there,” said church member Clay Martin, who watched the service from the couch at home with her two kids, Cary and Trace, and husband Andy.

The livestream had a few technical glitches, including some of the sermon being streamed upside down. However, the majority of the service streamed smoothly. Members also connected with each other via Facebook, commenting with prayer requests and texting each other “peace be with you.”  

A different kind of Sunday service but a way for the Springdale Presbyterian Church to worship and pray together during a time when social gatherings are being canceled and avoided due to the Coronavirus.

“We’re used to going to church, you know, we’re used to that routine, and even though the place has changed, the people haven’t,” Andy Martin said. “The message hasn’t changed, and, so yea we’ll continue doing this. It’s important to us, and it’s important to our church family.”

Springdale Presbyterian Church will livestream their service via their Facebook page every Sunday until services resume on Easter Sunday.