CLEVELAND — A church in Ohio is keeping its popular drive-in service.

Pastor Scott Low is joined by his dog, Frankie. He considers Frankie the greeter at his church.

“A lot of people bring their pets with them as well. Every Sunday, we have four or five four-legged friends out there with us,” Low said. 

Low, the pastor of the Tallmadge United Methodist Church, has turned a shipping container into part of his worship service.

The container has a heater and sound system so Low can preach to the congregation while they tune in through a radio frequency.

“Some young guys surprised me by building the deck that has now become the front porch of this space that we have to lead worship from,” Low said. “Even though we’re in our separate cars in the parking lot, it really feels like we’re the gathered body of Christ, we are the community here.” 

Spectrum News interviewed Pastor Low when he started the services in 2020. Despite vaccines and reduced restrictions allowing the return of in-person worship, Low said the drive-in services have remained popular. 

“Some folks with medical conditions that they’re just at all cost trying to avoid getting COVID are not ready to venture inside yet, even though they’ve been vaccinated. But we found out that some of that, you know, isn’t the complete answer,” said Low.  

COVID has been tough on faith leaders like Low, who considers the pandemic the greatest challenge in his 27 years of ministry. 

“It’s been a really difficult balancing act between keeping people safe and getting people together because that’s what church is about, is being together.” 

But whatever challenges the pandemic throws at Low and his congregation, he’s continuing to guide his members through community and faith. 

“That the only thing that we can do is control kind of this day and this moment and who we are in terms of how we respond to those things that are going on around us. So it’s through our faith that we can hold steady in those situations,” said Low.