Live Streaming Worship Services Surge As Adventist Churches Remain Closed
Herman Ravariere, head church elder of the Peters Rest Adventist Church in St. Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands, preaches to an empty building to deliver Sabbath’s Mar. 28, 2020, online worship service on Facebook Live for church members across the island, following social distancing measures during the Coronavirus pandemic affecting the globe. Thousands of Adventist churches across the Inter-American Division have increased their online worship services while church buildings are closed to congregants as of early in March. [Photo: Facebook]
As thousands of Seventh-day Adventist churches remained closed for worship services in an effort to stop the spread of the coronavirus, online services and Bible study groups have multiplied like never before. Throughout the church in the Inter-American Division (IAD), the efforts to encourage the membership to rely on God, remain faithful, and to get involved in sharing the message of the gospel have been unprecedented, church leaders said.
“The fact that people are not able to congregate in buildings because of the physical distancing requirements has led to an implementation of online worship options never seen before,” said Abel Márquez, communication director for the church in Inter-America.
“It seems incredible how so many churches and schools are closed, that’s thousands of buildings not serving their purpose right now, so we have been forced to use such simple tools like our cell phones to minister online,” said Márquez.
Adventist World Church Youth Ministries Director Pastor Gary Blanchard (top left) and Pathfinder Director Pastor Andres Peralta, join a special Inter-American Division youth program online led by Pastor Al Powell (bottom left) youth ministries director for the church in Inter-America with local leaders form Cayman Islands and Puerto Rico, on Mar. 28, 2020. The program is part one of several that seeks to highlight youth leaders and countries around the Inter-American Division territory. [Photo: Facebook]
Relevant content
Providing relevant content to the church and the public is at the heart of the mission of the communication department, said Márquez. That’s been possible through Hope Channel in its traditional television methods, as well as new platforms and new practical programs that share hope.
“In spite of the global crisis, unions and production centers have gone to incredible lengths to keep church members [spiritually] fed through live programs,” said Márquez. “Countries like Haiti, Panama and Guatemala, that have been working on establishing a production center, moved quickly this weekend to use their available spaces, relying on volunteers and setting up equipment to transmit programs viewed by as many as 2,000 followers this past weekend.”
Just last week, the number of worship services and meetings provided on the IAD’s Zoom video conference platform doubled from the week before, totaling nearly 600, with a total viewership of 12,800 people across the IAD territory and around the world, reported Osman Longa, telecommunications director for the church in Inter-America.
Pastor Edgard Etienne, executive secretary of the church in the Central Conference in Haiti, delivers a message during a three-week evangelism campaign on line in the studios of the Adventist Radio Esperance, in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, Mar. 28, 2020. [Photo: Facebook]
Church buildings closed
With its 1,267 congregations closed and the country practically on lockdown, top church leaders in Guatemala moved quickly to convert the chapel room in the union headquarters office into a studio for the production of Sabbath worship services as well as additional weekly programs just two weeks ago.
“The need has forced us to accelerate our steps in this online ministry, even with the little equipment we have,” said Gustavo Menendez, communication director for the church in Guatemala. The church leadership in Guatemala City has been producing live church services for the past two weeks on Sabbaths and throughout the week which are also carried through its five local fields social media platforms, as well as the two Adventist-run radio stations which cover 70 percent of the country.
Pastor Ramiro Hernández (center), executive secretary of the church in Guatemala, speaks during a Sabbath school program streamed live on Facebook Live on Mar. 28, 2020, from the chapel-turned-into-studio of the Guatemala Union headquarters office in Guatemala City, Guatemala. Hernández is accompanied by Pastors Gustavo Menéndez (left), Sabbath school ministries director and Moises Vidal (right), youth ministries director for the church in Guatemala. [Photo: Juan Lopez/Union Radio]
During the last five years, the church in Guatemala has been heavily investing in providing antennas for radio waves coverage mostly from special offering donations collected every year, explained Menéndez. “Members here continue to support the mission of the church and that has allowed us to be ready to respond to their spiritual needs at this time through more online programming,” he said.
The church Guatemala is leading online prayer sessions three times a day as the 100 Days of Prayer around the world church began five days ago. At 6pm every evening, viewers can submit their prayer requests and pastors can interact with them. On Mar. 29, the church began a national online evangelistic campaign streamed through the union’s Facebook page and the conference’s pages, Menéndez said.
More online programs
For the North Mexican Union, which has grown its programs online in the past few years, the closing of its 1,111 churches has increased significantly since earlier in March.
President of the North Mexican Union delivers a special message on Mar. 28, 2020, on the union’s Facebook page. [Photo: Facebook]
In Panama, which has had strict national quarantine regulations for more than three weeks, more online programming has been scheduled on their union’s and conferences Facebook pages.
Online classes for club members
The pandemic has closed their 622 congregations and caused the church leadership across the country to unify their efforts on Sabbath worship services for the more than 93,800 membership and online viewers, said Moises Díaz, information technology director and Hope Media Center coordinator who assists in producing productions for the church in Panama.
The church leadership at the union is providing online classes for pathfinders and adventurers so that members of those clubs can fulfill their honor requirements while at home. Meanwhile, more online streaming and evangelistic initiatives are increasing day by day to cater to the membership, explained Díaz.
A Master Guide teaches honor classes for adventurer club members all across the church membership in Panama during an online weekly program on Facebook, Mar. 28, 2020. [Photo: Facebook]
In eight of the islands in the North Caribbean Conference, churches are expanding their livestreaming services so that members at home can view prayer meetings, vespers, Sabbath worship services and prayer groups, said Pastor Royston Philbert, communications director for the church in the North Caribbean Conference.
The conference oversees the work of the church in the islands of St. Croix, Thomas, St. John, Tortola, Virgin Gorda, St. Maarten, St. Eustatius, and Anguilla.
“We use our small studio in our union office to stream for the island of St. Croix and facilitate those who need an alternative service,” said Philbert.
Each of the islands carries online church services, led mostly by the ministerial association which oversees local pastors to facilitate programs for the congregations, explained Philbert.
During the week, local pastors cater to the individual spiritual needs of their members through live streaming and cell phone ministries.
Two hosts go over the Sabbath school lesson during a Facebook Live program held from the Panama Union’s studio in Panama City, Panama, on Mar. 28, 2020. [Photo: Facebook]
There is only one way to continue fulfilling the mission at this time, which is using the digital platforms available, said Márquez.
“As leaders, we have the obligation to provide worship spaces to members and we all have the obligation to find the way to continue sharing the message to others.” That means that the only way today is through social media networks, cell phones, radio and television, he added.
“If we do not use these methods, the message will be locked up in our homes.” I believe God wants to teach us that the church must be prepared at every moment for the change,” said Márquez. “In the midst of uncertainty and fear, we should not cross our arms to see what others are doing. We must be diligent in being creative and innovative in presenting the message of salvation.”
To view list of Several live streamed services across Inter-America, click HERE in English. For Spanish listing HERE. For French, click HERE
To learn more about the Seventh-day Adventist Church in the Inter-American Division, its initiatives and available resources, visit interamerica.org