Religious leaders using social media for services

After Nevada Governor Steve Sisolak’s directive to limit gatherings of 10 or more people due to concerns of the COVID-19 outbreak, local places of worship are using alternate means to provide services to their respective congregations.

As such, Rabbi Paul Cohen, of the Yakin B’racha Jewish Messianic Fellowship, located at 2601 Hacienda St. took to social media to deliver his Passover service message this week, by way of a podcast.

Solo service

While addressing the unusual method, Cohen said though the experience was strange and uncomfortable, he would never intentionally expose his congregation to a potential life-threatening setting.

“I couldn’t tell you how grief-stricken I would be if I kept the doors open and then had somebody in my congregation get sick or even die because of the virus, so we decided that we would just not hold in-person services,” he said. “So many houses of worship are having to do their services online and we find ourselves having to perform the services that are required by scripture to an empty house. We really debated this and it was a real tough decision to make. Because most of my congregation is in the at-risk age, we have decided the best thing to do for everybody would be suspending services until the president says it’s safe to start them back up again.”

Uncertain future

Cohen also bemoaned the fact that he experienced a few technical complications during the Passover service, while noting that he’s not entirely sure whether he will continue to podcast his regular services.

“There were a lot of technical difficulties, so I don’t know if we will continue to perform services via a podcast,” he said. “I have talked to New Hope Fellowship Church, who has some equipment, and we will be borrowing other equipment. So until we can technologically really get ourselves up to speed, we probably won’t. But if we do get the equipment, and I get some technological help, then we will continue to perform services via podcast.”

On the same page

Additionally, Cohen noted that other local churches plan to follow suit in regard to suspending in-person church gatherings.

“This whole thing has blindsided everybody, and everybody seems to be scrambling and trying to be in step with this new reality,” he said. “I hope it won’t be a long-term reality because we are trying to satisfy the word of the Lord and meet the needs of the people, but also keep everyone safe. All of the churches that I am aware of are doing a podcast of some type, on YouTube. I know a number of churches that are doing that. And I know of other churches that are just really struggling trying to get the technology that we haven’t had to deal with in the past.”

Similarly, it appears that officials from Pahrump Community Church are also following Sisolak’s directive.

Senior Pastor D. Keith Walker posted a social media message regarding church activities during Holy Week.

“We aren’t canceling Resurrection Sunday, but we won’t be holding the typical special gatherings that have become familiar patterns for most of us,” he said in part. “We had made plans to join with brothers and sisters in Christ for a sunrise service at Petrack Park on April 12th. Our plans were made, but the Lord has intervened and we are making adjustments. Therefore, we will be offering streaming services on Sunday morning, April 12th. At 6 a.m. we will be streaming a sunrise service broadcast, then at 9:15 we will be streaming the Resurrection Sunday broadcast. By the way, we will also be streaming a Good Friday service at 7 p.m. on Friday evening, April 10th.”

Rabbi Cohen, meanwhile, noted there have been other times in history where attending synagogue services put the congregants’ lives in grave danger.

“During the Holocaust, even though they knew that people with rifles were going to come into the synagogue, they still conducted services, but this is a really different situation,” he said. “Nobody is saying we can never hold services. This is a temporary situation, and I don’t know of any congregation that is ignoring the advice given by all of the medical authorities.”

Contact reporter Selwyn Harris at sharris@pvtimes.com. On Twitter: @pvtimes