Part of the sermon being recorded on Thursday.

TIFTON — When Senior Pastor Wayne Roe walked into the sanctuary Sunday morning, it was dark, quiet and empty, far different than a normal Sunday at First Baptist Church of Tifton.

“It was a sad and surreal experience,” said Roe. “Usually God’s family comes together on Sunday to worship, and we were scattered.”

In response to COVID-19, many area churches have stopped normal, in-person Sunday services in accordance with CDC guidelines on social distancing.

Instead, many churches are offering online services, streaming them through Facebook and/or the church’s website. (Editor’s Note: For a full list of online services, see the end of this article).

That’s what Roe was there to do the morning of Mar. 15, to lead the service for his congregation, even if they couldn’t physically be together.

“We’re called to serve,” said Minister of Music Barry Cook. “As long as we’re healthy, as long as we’re in compliance with what the government’s asking us to do, we want to make ourselves available to help people that can’t get out, whether they’re old or sick in some way. We just want to be here to be able to serve them.”

On that same Sunday morning, Father Lonnie Lacey at St. Anne’s Episcopal Church was trying to figure out what to say.

“I gotta tell you, I didn’t know what to say,” Lacey said. “It was totally weird looking at empty pews.”

A normal service at St. Anne’s features pageantry, a procession with acolytes, incense and bells. This service would just be Lacey and Stan Smith, the church’s music minister.

As he went through the planned reading for the service, Lacey found something that reflects on the current situation, both in Tift County and the country at large.

“We don’t need to be ruled by fear,” said Lacey. “As Christian people, we’re not defined by the stock market, whether it crashes or soars. We’re not defined by fear, we’re defined by love.”

“What we did was our normal service, including Communion,” Lacey added. “Communion is central to Episcopal worship. We do it every week, especially at St. Anne’s. This is a congregation that appreciates and desires having Communion every single Sunday.”

So, he had Communion, telling viewers that in the absence of the tradition Communion, the words themselves are effective.

Lacey plans to keep the 10 a.m. Sunday livestreamed service going through their Facebook page and website, and he’s also doing a weeknight livestream at 8:30 p.m. for the Episcopal tradition of compline, a simple, “end of the day” service that Lacey likens to the congregation getting together and “saying bedtime prayers together.”

“We’re putting plans in place in case we have to Easter and Holy Week digitally,” Lacey said. “It’ll be a change, but if it’s what we have to do, we’ll do it creatively.”

“Pastors and churches need to model the appropriate behavior we’re being asked to do,” he added. “Social distancing only works if we all do it.”

The First Baptist Church service has been televised for years at 11 a.m. on channel 7 for Mediacom and channel 9 for Tiftnet, Roe said. It’ll still be there, as well as at the church website, fbctifton.org.

“It’s important to to maintain some sense of regularity,” Roe said. “We think it’s important for people to maintain some patterns and remember that even though we can’t be together in one place we can still be the church.”

Roe said that he likens this time to the story about Jesus calming the storm from a boat.

“There’s a storm around us right now,” he said. “If we just remind people that Jesus is with us then a sense of hope, a sense of calmness and peace can be provided.”

The church’s contemporary service will start at 10:50 a.m. on Sundays and be streamed to the FBC Tifton Facebook page.

“It’s an opportunity for us as Christians to show the hope that lies within us,” said Roe.

“I want folks to stay calm and trust in God through this,” Roe added. “We don’t know where it’s leading us, but we still know God’s in control. It’s going to be okay.”

“God is faithful, love is strong and this is a phenomenal community that knows how to take care of each other,” said Lacey. “And we will.”

Church Services

Several congregations began streaming services last week, on their websites or on Facebook Live. Below is a list of churches The Gazette is aware that are streaming services. Did we miss your church? Email becky.taylor@gaflnews.com and we will add it to our online list.

• Carpenter Road Church’s 11 a.m. Sunday services will be on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/crdcog.

• Eastside Baptist Church will be online only and should be ready for viewing on Sunday morning. The website is www.ebctifton.com, click on “Worship Services.” It will include both music and a message.

• First Baptist Tifton’s 11 a.m. Cornerstone service will be live on television (Mediacom channel 7, TiftNet, channel 9) and online at fbctifton.org. It’s contemporary service will be streamed through its Facebook page at 10:50 a.m.

• Journey Church will be streaming services at https://www.embracethejourney.tv/watch-live.

• Northside Baptist Church is streaming services 9:45 a.m. at https://www.facebook.com/nbctifton/.

• Omega Church of God will be streaming services at https://www.facebook.com/pages/category/Church-of-God/Omega-Church-of-God-608777532644046/.

• Our Divine Saviour Catholic Church will live stream Mass at 10 a.m. on Sundays at https://odsparishtifton.org/. Masses may also be viewed on EWTN (Mediacom channel 14, TiftNet channel 145).

• St. Anne’s Episcopal Church’s services are online at 10 a.m. at stannestifton.com/webcast or facebook.com/stannestifton. St. Anne’s also has daily nighttime prayer streaming every weeknight on Facebook Live at 8:30 p.m.

• Tifton First Assembly of God is still holding 10:30 a.m. services in the chapel, but for those preferring not to be there in person, services are being livestreamed at www.facebook.com/TFAChurch.

• Tifton United Methodist is holding services online. Livestream is available at facebook.com/tiftonfumc.

• Union Grove Church has moved services online on Facebook Live https://www.facebook.com/UGCLife-247271435312058/. Services are at 11 a.m.

• Victory Baptist Church will livestream 11 a.m. Sunday morning services at  https://www.facebook.com/Victory-Baptist-615635165560151/.

In addition, The Road Church will be meeting at Fulwood Park March 22 for services at 10 a.m. Services will be in the pavilion area in the southwest corner of the park. The Road had been meeting at the Leroy Rogers Center, which is currently closed.