Colorado Churches Turn To Digital To Continue Ministry Amid Coronavirus
AURORA, Colo. (CBS4) – At the request of Gov. Jared Polis, faith leaders across Colorado are closing their churches and mosques to help prevent the spread of COVID-19. Calvary Church Aurora is one of the many large congregations that followed the request and closed doors to the public.
"This will be a first for me in a real way, that we have nobody here," Pastor Ed Taylor told CBS4's Dillon Thomas. "Of all the years I have done ministry, this is the most interesting and challenging time that I have ever seen in my life."
Unlike many church bodies in Colorado, Calvary Church Aurora not only streams their services online, but also owns their own radio station. 89.7 GraceFM is operated out of the church, and broadcasts live sermons multiple times a week. Other times are filled with a biblical-based talk show and sermons from other pastors around the nation.
Taylor said his church was part of a phone conference with Polis, who requested faith leaders not host worship with more than 250 people in attendance. Calvary Church Aurora often serves upwards of 4,000 people per weekend.
"It is a large congregation," Taylor said.
For smaller churches the restriction request by Polis did not impact their ability to host the community at their venue. While the request from the governor was not mandated, Taylor said his church would follow the request for at least two weeks or more. Polis requested those limitations be enforced for at least one month.
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With social media platforms, the CalvaryCO.church website and GraceFM, Taylor said he would do his best to reach his community through other platforms.
"The real essence of the church is communication," Taylor said. "We have a lot of different avenues of communication here."
Taylor said he hadn't preached in front of a mostly-empty room in decades, likely since the months he first started his church.
"I am really excited about the challenge," Taylor said. "The church isn't a building. And, the Bible teaches that," Taylor said.
Taylor hoped the COVID-19 outbreak would encourage faith leaders across Colorado to explore the opportunities modern technology provides to reach communities in non-traditional ways.
"(Other pastors) are learning just how easy it is to put your church services online. It is not that difficult," Taylor said. "Their audience, and potential audience, is so much bigger than those who just show up in their church."
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