Connected by the spirit, separated by coronavirus, Milwaukee churches turn to online streaming for worship
Pastor Walter Lanier adjusted his glasses and opened his Bible to Psalm 46.
But before he could begin reading, a voice — several, actually — piped up.
“Oh hi, everyone!"
"Morning!”
“I’m trying to see if pastor is muted here.”
Lanier glanced up at the iPad in front of him and smiled.
The inside of Progressive Baptist Church on Milwaukee's northwest side might have been empty, but more than 100 people joined Sunday's service through Facebook Live and online meeting service Zoom.
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Faith groups across Wisconsin switched to online services this weekend as they followed public health orders to avoid gatherings of 10 or more people, in an effort to stop the spread of COVID-19.
As of Sunday afternoon, the state had 381 confirmed cases and four deaths related to coronavirus, according to the Wisconsin Department of Health Services.
For Lanier and other clergy, it was important to lead worship from inside the church, where the congregation could see familiar faces and imagery.
"I thought doing it from here would be a comfort and some degree of sameness," Lanier said in an interview.
He was joined by his wife, Minister Nichole Lanier; and their son, 25-year-old Askari Lanier.
Before the service, Nichole Lanier grew emotional as she described seeing the empty pews and not being able to greet or hug loved ones.
“I think it’s made us all appreciate what we have now that we don’t have it," she said.
As she offered a prayer during the service, her voice broke.
"Lord, we know that you are the God of all creation ... and though we cannot gather together this morning in our normal way," she said, pausing to wipe away a tear, "we know that you are with us, and that you are our protector, and that you will bring us through this."
The Lanier family had positioned two iPads and a laptop at the front of the church. When the pastor heard the interjections before the Psalm, he checked one of the iPads and saw he was, indeed, on mute.
"One of the things we can do is not take ourselves too seriously but enjoy the blessing of the technology that allows us to gather together," he said with a smile, as he changed the volume setting.
He repeated his welcoming message.
"We're in the season and time of strife and challenge," he said. "God is more than able, we all know that because we have spent our lives with the Lord, and he has brought us through dangers seen and unseen.
"This certainly was an unseen danger but our God is prepared for it," the pastor said, referring to COVID-19.
Then, he opened the Bible again to Psalm 46, which began: "God is our refuge and strength and ever present help in time of trouble. Therefore, we will not fear."
Contact Ashley Luthern at ashley.luthern@jrn.com. Follow her on Twitter at @aluthern.