Faith is personal, but how does education affect it? From student to staff, each have their own perspective and relationship with higher education and religion
By Eaon Hurley Faith Beat Reporter
About half of traditional college age people remain stable in their level of religious commitment and practice (or lack of.) About forty percent show a decline in religiousness. And a small percent of students see an increase in religiousness
Michael DeJonge, professor and chair of the Religious Studies department at USF
Religion is an incredibly sensitive and personal topic, though often pelted like snowballs in debates and equally mishandled in the hands of judgment. It still feels taboo to even broach the subject from time to time.
While nobody wants to talk about it, we should. Pew research has found that 28% of U.S. adults forgo religion and identify with what is being called “nones,” those being atheists, agnostics or “nothing in particular.” Further, Pew reports that a third of U.S. teens are unaffiliated with religion.
More youth are finding freedom of choice in their religion. A number of factors could be leading to the rise of nones among young people, though sometimes higher education is cited as the cause. It’s not an unusual claim, particularly with the rising number of college nones, and is an argument recently favored by politicians.
At USF, perspectives on religion vary from person to person, and higher education doesn’t always sway the student’s path. Many factors play into one’s religious affiliation, and there are times when a college career can cement those perspectives.
Brittney Rink, a senior at the University of South Florida studying digital communication and multimedia journalism, is a Christian. While she grew up in and around the church, she did not fully embrace the religion until several years ago. At the time, she was moving from Iowa to Florida during her senior year of high school, and that is when it clicked for her.
“It was like I’m actively in a moment where God, for me, was like ‘you need to be here, you’re ok, but you have to kind of let go of this life I was living in Iowa,’” Rink said.
While the number of nones rises, Rink has no plans to become one. In fact, her college experience has allowed her spirituality to grow. She’s had opportunities to be a leader at a Christian camp too, an experience she feels was equally beneficial for her, if not more.
“That’s never something that I would have guessed; like I would be baptizing somebody. That was such a moment that was like… I’m supposed to be here,” she said.
While the notion of religious affiliations changing during a college career sustains the arguments of politicians, and among the rising number of nones, it is not unusual for individuals to find themselves staying stagnant. Even during one’s impressionable twenties.
“About half of traditional college-age people remain stable in their level of religious commitment and practice (or lack of.) About forty percent show a decline in religiousness. And a small percent of students see an increase in religiousness,” said Michael DeJonge, professor and chair of the Religious Studies department at USF.
“A big part of the story, then, is also stability,” he said.
DeJonge is speaking about the relationship between religion and emerging adults. The term emerging adult, coined by psychologist Jeffery Arnett, is associated with an openness to exploration, experimentation and discovery, according to DeJonge. Naturally then, among all other shifting sands in their life, students of the emerging adult age may find themselves curious about what’s next in the scope of religion and spirituality.
“Emerging adults are also renegotiating their relationships with their parents, which also means renegotiating their relationship with whatever religious (or non-religious) resources their parents gave them,” DeJonge said.
Plenty of attributes pour into the perception of a student, leaving the reason almost unknown into what, or why, a student’s perception may change.
Dr Marianne Florian, a visiting professor at USF, gives insight into this point.
“I think that it can be a challenge to connect, for example, what you would learn in a biology class with how you view the value of the natural world,” Florian said.
She received her Ph.D. in American Religious Cultures from Emory University. Further in her work, she researched the use of a compassion meditation protocol that hospital chaplains were learning to practice with. The compassion meditation protocol is based on Tibetan Buddhist techniques.
Florian explains that while different religious worldviews may crop up in a student’s career, it is possible that courses on natural worldviews and ideas such as evolutionary theory may conflict with someone’s preconceived ideas, challenging them in new ways.
“I personally find it extremely inspiring, but they can come into conflict, or we can inherit narratives of conflict from our society and our culture,” she said.
Many aspects of a student’s career can challenge them, even outside of faith. For youth and young adults, it can be difficult to navigate in an ever-growing world while grappling with your own view and ideas of it. Especially when your worldviews are shifting themselves. If you find yourself in a time of confusion, young adult or otherwise, and your spirituality is changing just as the world does around us, it is important to remember that it’s natural.
“We all have been there, always, it never ends. Faith does not come without testing… teachers are silent during tests,” Rink said.
DeJonge said religious change “can be both scary and exciting.”
“See if you can find people to talk to who aren’t scared of it, who can help you see that it is an expected part of the growth process to explore different ways of thinking about religion,” he said.
Florians suggests not approaching spiritual evolution as a “DIY project.”
“There are trustworthy mentors and teachers in religious and spiritual traditions, and there are wise people in the world who have our best interests at heart,” she said. “One of the highest priorities for someone who is a relative beginner, or who is maybe at a transition point or even an impasse, it’s not necessary and it’s not skillful to go it alone and think of it as something you have to figure out for yourself, rather be open to help and wisdom that is more experience than one’s own.”
Human Services Director for the church, Anegla Rouson, said that they started the program in August 2020 in response to the pandemic.
“Food security is a concern in the Midtown area pre-COVID-19, but the pandemic has made it more urgent because there are so many folks who are affected by being out of work or being on lockdown for whatever reasons so, um, the urgency is even greater right now,” Rouson said.
Volunteer placing food into the trunk of an SUV. (USF/Malique Ferrette)
After seeing the food bank offered by the St. Petersburg Free Clinic in the downtown area, she was convinced that the Midtown community could benefit from similar services. What followed was a conversation with Feeding Tampa Bay and the beginnings of a permanent partnership between them and the church. This allows the church to host drive through food distribution events every two weeks.
According to Rouson, the response to the initiative, has been overwhelmingly positive.
Ronald Dock, a member of the church and frequent volunteer for the program, shared that at one point, cars would be wrapped around the block just waiting to receive food. However, when it comes to actually sharing their faith it was different.,
“If someone approached me and said, you know, ‘God bless you,’ I’d say ‘God bless’ back but you know, that’s the last thing I would ever do; push any religion on anybody. You run people away with that,” Dock said.
Dock said that they leave the door open for people to ask for prayers or to inquire about the church, but the main focus is just serving and sharing the love of Christ through that service. He shared that they try to have an impact directly on the community living within a 2-mile radius from the church; as is also shared in the church’s vision statement.
Bags of food prepared for distribution. (USF/Malique Ferrette)
Yet another volunteer at the church, McRay, said that though this is not her home church, she felt like she needed to do something to help after seeing so many people lacking food during the pandemic.
“I was glad to see that Mount Zion was doing this.I feel like I am doing something now and that was most important to me,” she said.
The community has responded to the outreach program in so many ways. Some via social media, others through a phone call to the church to say thank you and some, on the spot, before leaving the event. Other volunteers helping the church shared that because the distribution is set up as a drive-though, not many people will get out of their cars to talk. Most of the time, they rather drive along and might even honk their horns while leaving but that could be all. Even so, volunteers say that they know they are making a difference.
Volunteers distributing food to vehicles at outreach event. (USF/Malique Ferrette)
Upon arriving at the church, drivers are immediately directed toward a specific lane in the parking lot by orange cones laid out for guidance. While waiting in line as cars get closer to the food for the hand-off, a volunteer approaches vehicles to ask questions to help determine how much food to allot to each family.
At the same time, other volunteers approach different cars sharing pamphlets and brochures with other resources, such as affordable courses offered by St. Petersburg College and different programs that may even help people pay rent.
Volunteers distributing food to vehicles at outreach event. (USF/Malique Ferrette)
Eventually, each car reaches the end of the line where drivers are then asked to open their trunks to allow for the placement of bags and boxes of food; both perishable and nonperishable. Should there be no trunk space, the back seats are also optional.
Rouson stated that this initiative is intended to be long term or at least long enough to allow the church to sufficiently aid the Midtown community.
“We serve enthusiastically – ‘Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms.’ 1 Peter 4:10”
To date, some may say that Mount Zion Progressive Missionary Baptist Church is indeed doing its best to commit to that particular value.
Members and volunteers at Mount Zion Progressive Missionary preparing grocery items for community members. (USF/Malique Ferrette)
Pictured Above: Pinellas Community Church Connections Pastor Simone Seymour (center) performs on stage with other members of PCC’s worship team during Sunday service on May 2. (USF/Julia Gennocro)
By Annalise Anderson and Julia Gennocro
When asked how the worship team at Pinellas Community Church has remained resilient through the challenges brought on by COVID-19, PCC Connections Pastor Simone Seymor said plainly, “Music touches people. Music communicates things that, sometimes, words can’t.”
Music has long served as a vehicle for worship in the church and, despite the pandemic, the musicians of PCC did not back down from their role in elevating the worship experience.
Fueled by a devoted congregation and through modified means, the worship team continued to bring vocals, keys, strings and drum beats to PCC’s Sunday services.
After taking a hiatus at the start of the pandemic, worship team member Rich Priebe was ready to get back to leading the PCC community through music – even if it meant forgoing friendly hugs and wearing a mask.
Pinellas Community Church worship team member Rich Priebe provides vocals for the church’s Sunday service performances. (USF/Julia Gennocro)
Priebe experienced an adjustment period between returning to the worship team and learning how to be an active participant under the newly mandated safety restrictions.
Held in a small room behind the church’s sanctuary, the team’s ritual meeting before hitting the stage for 9 a.m. service looked and felt much different for Priebe.
“I remember standing back there doing our morning prayer and no one was holding hands,” Priebe said. “We always had masks on when in close proximity with each other.”
Priebe rejoined the worship team about eight months ago as an instrumentalist, but has recently transitioned into performing strictly as a vocalist during Sunday services. While he admits that being in the spotlight is intimidating, Priebe said he loves playing a significant role in the PCC community and getting to know more people along the way.
“I feel like I belong here,” Priebe said.
Through powerful verses, lively chords and illuminating visuals, the worship team encourages members of the church to feel receptive to prayer.
Seymour describes the emotional impact of PCC’s music as a feeling that is relatable to everyone.
“When you think of a song that you love, sometimes that brings back a whole memory for you, right? I think that’s part of the resilience, people being able to connect to that,” Seymour said.
“For us, our prayer and our hope is that it forever connects (our congregation) with the Lord and what God may want for them in their life and in that season. I think that as long as people are able to identify, to connect with the music, that opens up your heart to receive even more because you feel good.”
Creating an inclusive, inviting environment in the church is a priority for the worship team.
“Our goal is to create a worship experience, no matter who’s coming in or what your church history background looks like, where you can come in and connect with God in a way that’s personal to you and whatever that looks like for you; that you feel included in the worship service,” Seymour said.
For churchgoer Cassandra Holt, religion and worship is relatively new. Having not grown up in the church, Holt found it challenging to worship on her own. However, she credits PCC’s worship team with helping to guide her into the practice.
Exiting the outside world and entering PCC’s auditorium for Sunday service is “a transition” for Holt.
“You bring in an awful lot when you walk in the doors,” Holt said. “It can be a difficult shift.”
But as she listens to the sounds and messages of the worship team, Holt eases herself into the healing that devotion can offer.
During the church’s May 2 service, among the songs performed by the worship team were “Grace to Grace” and “Another in the Fire” by contemporary Christian band Hillsong Worship.
Like most of her experiences at PCC, Holt resonated with the acoustic-backed verses.
“Every time I come at least one nugget of the music they choose speaks to exactly what I brought in,” Holt said. “It opens my ears and softens my heart to the music itself and the message to follow.”
However, for several weeks in 2020, PCC members like Holt were forced to participate in Sunday services from home. Thankfully, the church quickly adapted to the challenge.
In February 2020, before the pandemic posed a threat to PCC’s operations, the church was already in the process of making significant changes to its production equipment. Newly installed high-tech cameras became essential to helping the church serve its members by allowing for the recording and live streaming of its worship services.
“We were preparing to get better equipment so we could start streaming online, and it just so happened that March just threw us right into that,” Seymour said. “It really was just the Lord looking out for us.”
Now, PCC offers in-person services, as well as live streaming for those who do not feel safe attending inside the church.
“We really are just so blessed and so fortunate to have a team of musicians who are so dedicated to serving the Lord,” Seymour said. “That’s the reason why they continue to serve, and to sing, and to create music specifically for our Sunday worship experiences.”
For Priebe, the increasing availability of the COVID-19 vaccine has given him hope about more people feeling comfortable and safe returning to the church. A larger congregation helps him to feel more spirited while on stage with the worship team.
“I like when more people come in person,” Priebe said. “There’s so much more energy when people are here.”
Though the worship team has endured virtual services, masked rehearsals and small audiences, it shows no signs of slowing down.
According to Seymour, the resiliency of PCC’s worship team is a result of the synergy between members’ passions for music and prayer.
“It’s really because of the team, there isn’t one person responsible for all of it,” Seymour said. “It’s the people that come together that love what they do, that love the Lord, and love the gift that they have and want to be used by God. And I think that’s what makes us really special.”
Pictured Above: The Power for Living Ministries church is located at 1710 52nd St. S, Gulfport. (USF/Kristen Boehm)
By Kristen Boehm
In a neighborhood in Gulfport, one church has kept its doors open for in-person services throughout the entire pandemic.
Pastor Ulysses Burden Jr. founded Power for Living Ministries with his wife, Annette, in 2003. When the pandemic began forcing communities to harbor at home, Burden knew that closing the doors would mean putting a stop, or at least a pause, to that almost two-decade passion.
“We didn’t do Zoom, ‘cause I don’t know how to do it,” said Burden. “I don’t know if you’re familiar with The Jetsons or The Flintstones. Well, I just graduated from The Flintstones.”
Pastor Ulysses Burden Jr. at the head of his church. (USF/Kristen Boehm)
Pastor Ulysses Burden Jr. at the head of his church. (USF/Kristen Boehm)
The church serves a predominately Black, multicultural congregation with about 60 active members. There are services for youth and adults, as ages range from young to elderly. And every third Saturday for 18 years, the ministry has given away donated clothes, food and appliances to the communities it serves.
None of this means Burden kept his services in-person without consideration. The night before Easter in 2020, Burden went into prayer about whether to keep his doors open or not.
“I said, Lord, do you want me to close these doors? Because I don’t want to endanger none of your people,” recounted Burden.
When he held Sunday morning worship the next day, he said he felt the glory and the presence of God in the house, and saw miraculous healings for his congregation. So the doors stayed open.
Knowing that this choice was right for his ministry, but also the harder path, Burden and his church family did their best to make sure they stayed safe. They installed automatic hand sanitizer dispensers and taped up the chairs and floor to show safe six-foot distances. They wore masks, and they even put a stop to their tradition of each person giving out three hugs at the end of every service.
“We did everything the CDC said to do,” said Burden. “It’s very important that you go by the guidelines, and then go by the word of God. You have to have a very balanced approach.”
Inside Power for Living Ministries, you can see the tape marking six foot distances. (USF/Kristen Boehm)
Inside Power for Living Ministries, you can see the tape marking six foot distances. (USF/Kristen Boehm)
Burden believes that these measures have helped keep the church open over the past year. While some people did stop attending, others came in off the street or from other churches, grateful to find an open place of worship. The church saw an increase in donations, mostly from members’ tithes and offerings, which eased the monthly strain of meeting the rent on the church building.
The current location, 1710 52nd St. S., is actually the fourth home of Power for Living Ministries. The ministry began with 6 p.m. Sunday services after Burden’s mentor, the late Pastor Greg Powe of Revealing Truth Ministries, released him to preach out of their St. Petersburg location. When Revealing Truth did not renew the lease, Burden and his wife continued their ministry out of their own home in south St. Petersburg.
When they were able, they began renting a small, but well-maintained, church in a storefront in central St. Petersburg. But after a period of hard times and falling behind on the rent, they lost the church.
“January the fourth, 2012. I remember that day because I was in tears,” Burden said.
Unable to bring the larger congregation back to their home, they began holding services in a conference room at a Comfort Inn. It was an adjustment. They moved Sunday morning services from 9:30 a.m. to 8 a.m., because another ministry came in at eleven o’clock.
“We kept our ministry going,” said Burden. “We lost a few members along the way, but we stayed committed.”
A little over a year later, Burden was approached by a pastor who owned a blue and white church in a homey neighborhood in Gulfport. The two men struck a deal that included the first month’s rent being free. And for the past seven years, Power for Living Ministries has served its community out of that church.
Part of that service is the ministry’s outreach. It includes going out “soul-winning” every first Saturday of the month, and a small-goods drive held at the church every third Saturday.
“We bless the community,” said Burden, who listed clothing, shoes, food and even small appliances among the things that get donated and then given away by his congregation. “You don’t have to be a member to come and get that. We give it to everybody… The more we release, the more comes in.”
A group of ladies, church members and non-members, will bring a bag of clothes to the church every Wednesday. A man in Clearwater will donate hams, turkeys and chickens once every month or two. One guy once brought an entire trailer of mens’ coats. And they’re all given back to the community.
To Burden, who grew up in Jordan Park in the 1960s, community means supporting one another. He considers giving back a part of worship, and encourages his church members to give away items they find valuable.
He’s also hoping that one of his members will be able to provide another service as part of their worship – bringing Power for Living Ministries into the virtual space.
“We need somebody in the congregation to step up, ‘cause it’s out of my league,” said Burden.
Currently, the church staff do record some services on a Galaxy Note9 smartphone, but they don’t get posted anywhere. They have a website with the necessary information. Burden’s son just set up a Facebook page for the church in March 2021, but the page is not publicly available yet.
Burden believes that if they had been able to provide virtual services during the pandemic, they would have been able to reach more people and gain broader recognition. He said that if they have to, they’ll hire someone to help with their social media. But he isn’t too worried.
“Everything that was lost in 2020, it’s going to be restored, and some more,” Burden said.
With that look towards the future, the ministry will continue.
Power for Living Ministries is located at 1710 52nd St. S, Gulfport. It holds Sunday morning worship at 9:30 a.m. and Wednesday night Bible study at 7 p.m. every week.
This story also appears on The Weekly Challenger, the most comprehensive news source to the African-American communities of Tampa Bay.
By Annalise Anderson, Kristen Boehm, Julia Gennocro, Aliah Farley, Jessica Stewart, Malique Ferrette and Hannah Simpson
Like many aspects of daily life, the COVID-19 pandemic has altered the way congregations in Midtown gather, worship and nurture their spirituality. Following CDC guidelines, some parishioners have returned to socially distanced services in familiar sanctuaries while others are hearing the word from their cars in drive-in like worship. And still, others are watching live-streamed services from home. While similar in many ways, each church has its own personality, driven by music, pastoral leadership and the congregation.
There are dozens of churches in Midtown, some of them historic and grand. Others have opened more recently and hold services in small storefront spaces in strip malls. On March 7, journalism students in the Neighborhood News Bureau class at the University of South Florida, St. Petersburg campus, attended services at seven Midtown churches. The vignettes they have written provide a glimpse into a typical Sunday morning there, made atypical by the pandemic. Despite that, resourceful church leaders have pivoted to continue leading the way forward.
Pinellas Community Church: In Masks, They Gathered Together
Pinellas Community Church is located at 1503 31st St. S, St. Petersburg. (USF/Annalise Anderson)
Pinellas Community Church showed no signs of slowing down just before the 9 a.m. service started. Cars filled the grassy parking lot, masked church staff pleasantly greeted guests and the surprisingly large congregation filed into a socially distanced space of worship.
A small crowd grew around a concession window for complimentary hot coffee or tea to sip on during the hour-long service. Some returning and first-time PCC members mingled while masked in the sunlit courtyard.
Temperatures were checked at the door, where automatic sanitizer dispensers stood at the ready. Churchgoers were required to wear face masks upon entry; once seated, they were permitted to remove them.
Chairs were divided into sets of twos and fours, with each set placed six feet apart from the next. Most families occupied their respective sets, but some individuals shared seating areas due to the size of the congregation that morning.
Jeff Countryman, PCC’s worship experience pastor, walked the sanctuary, fist bumping returning members and introducing himself to new faces.
The service began promptly. High-tech cameras on tripods sat at the back of the room, towering over the chairs and capturing every moment for those attending Sunday service virtually.
Both in-person and virtual congregations were reminded that the day’s sermon was available for read-along via the official PCC mobile app. Prayer requests and offerings to the church were also available through the app.
Then, the room went dark and a multi-piece band played energetic modern worship music. Colored lights, smoke machines and an animated background made for lively praise as members of the congregation sang, swayed and stood with palms to the sky.
Once the room was filled with a heightened energy, Lead Pastor Mark Canfield took to the stage to deliver the sermon. Between colloquial anecdotes, Canfield’s talking points included “practicing Jesus’s way,” learning to silence life’s noise and caring for one’s spiritual health in 2021.
At the end of Canfield’s sermon, PCC staff dismissed the seated congregation by sections to avoid unsafe crowding. Visitors wished a blessed week ahead and were welcomed to return again next Sunday.
— Annalise Anderson
St. Mark’s Missionary Baptist Church: Finding the Strength to Start Over
St. Mark’s Missionary Baptist Church is located at 1301 37th St. S, St. Petersburg. (USF/Kristen Boehm)
It was a new day, the first Sunday in a new month. An opportunity for change, for choices and for starting over.
It began not in the pews, but in the parking lot.
At 9 a.m., the Rev. Pastor Brian K. Brown stood outside the front doors of St. Mark’s Missionary Baptist Church. He held a microphone and spoke to his gathered congregation. Some were able to join him physically, parked in their cars, socially-distanced and safe. About 200 more were watching online.
Brown smiled as he led everyone through communion. St. Mark’s staff of deacons, dressed sharply in suits, masks and gloves, handed prepackaged communion cups (including wafers) out to the folks who were attending in their cars. Brown invited everyone to partake together.
“Can we say amen or blow the horn?”
Like voices rising up, horns echoed around the lot.
Around 11 a.m., the Sunday service began inside the church. Much fewer were in attendance live, but nearly 100 more were watching online. On this first Sunday, people greeted each other in the chat of the YouTube livestream.
“Good morning, family.”
“Good morning again my beautiful St. Mark Family. It is a blessing to virtually worship with you today.”
St. Mark’s Praise Team, which consisted of a three-woman choir accompanied by live piano and drums, stirred up scattered clapping and hollers from the few in live attendance, and ‘hallelujahs’ and emoji from the chat. Brown’s head bobbed to the beat in the background, just visible from where he sat behind his pulpit.
When Brown stood and delivered his word for the St. Mark’s family that day, he was continuing a series of sermons titled “Starting Over.”
He acknowledged that everyone listening has had a start-over this past year. He spoke of how in Exodus, the Israelites were given the choice between fear and faith. He encouraged his listeners to choose faith, to embrace change and to look for the sweetness in every day.
“The bitterness called COVID-19 has made things very distasteful to us,” Brown said.
Among the amens in the chat, one message read, “I thank God for changing me from sour to sweet. Thanks, Pastor Brown, for a reminder message this morning.”
— Kristen Boehm
Historic Bethel AME Church: “You’ve Got The Power”
Historic Bethel African Methodist Episcopal Church is located at 912 Third Ave. N, St. Petersburg. (USF/Julia Gennocro)
At 9:16 a.m., the camera flashed on. Distanced across the room from each other, Gregory Porter and Ryan Kendrick led the morning worship on the piano, organ and drums.
Behind them sat three rows of red chairs where a vibrant choir once sang in union.
The video’s comment section was lively as the virtual churchgoers left warm welcomes and noted lyrics to the hymns that played as their way of singing along.
“Good morning Rev. Irby, Bethel family and friends,” Lolita Brown commented.
“Good Morning Historic Bethel,” the Rev. Dr. Patricia Smith Wallace wrote.
At 9:30 a.m., the Rev. Kenneth Irby entered the frame. He carefully removed his face mask before greeting the few in live attendance and those watching at home.
After a brief introduction and a few hymns, Irby stepped out of the frame and the Rev. Dr. Kevin Wardlaw, Alba Osborne and Linnell Baker each entered to deliver invocation prayers and readings from the Bible.
Irby’s sermon, “You’ve Got the Power,” centered around the importance of COVID-19 vaccinations, encouraging members of Historic Bethel AME to get vaccinated themselves.
“I’m telling everybody who will listen ‘take the shot,’ and if that doesn’t work for you, get the shot,” Irby said.
“It is a step of affirmation that you do have some authority, some power over your destiny. You have the power to preserve your health and to protect your life and the lives of so many others.”
The comment section flooded with “amens” and “hallelujahs” in response.
Irby moved on to talk about how “there is power in the unity of the community” and that it is especially present in Pinellas County.
He stated that people across all denominations have banded together under the common goal of getting community members vaccinated.
— Julia Gennocro
St. Bartholomew’s Episcopal Church: Innovation Mixed with Tradition
St. Bartholomew’s Episcopal Church is located at 3747 34th St. S, St. Petersburg. (USF/Kristen Boehm)
St. Bartholomew’s Episcopal Church, Pinellas County’s oldest church, has turned to YouTube in the wake of the Coronavirus pandemic to provide its congregation with safe worship.
Every Sunday, following the live recorded service, St. Bartholomew posts to their YouTube channel, giving members the chance to find salvation from the safety of home. The weekly videos have created a digital haven that leaves those tuning in feeling transported and reconnected to their spiritual community.
Opening with a long shot down the center aisle, the empty but brightly lit, heart pine-constructed nave filled the online browser as if to welcome virtual viewers to find their seat within the pews. The church bells tolled, and the service commenced cutting to a closer view from the third pew. The camera was strategically placed behind members to cultivate an immersed experience.
The background echo of the socially distanced, masked congregation reciting the chosen readings in unison transformed personal living rooms into an intimate sermon. Now focused directly on Father William Burkett as he stood behind a tall sheet of plexiglass to protect those attending in person, he preached his Lent service.
“This has been a great idea. Informative and nicely done,” commented Edie and Jay Racine on YouTube.
Alongside sermons, a weekly hymn was posted by organist and choirmaster Anita Bona, giving an in-depth explanation on the history and importance of each song. Following the brief introduction, Bona played the instrumental adoration in the empty church with the organ’s majestic harmonies cascading through the church’s Florida Gothic style arches.
Beyond taking an innovative approach to Sunday service, St. Bartholomew’s has continued to serve the local community during the pandemic with its food bank and thrift store.
— Aliah Farley
Circle of Faith: Connecting Through Love
Circle of Faith is located at 1310 22nd Ave. S, St. Petersburg. (USF/Jessica Stewart)
The service at Circle of Faith began at 9:30 a.m. with peaceful hymns and a powerful message. Lead pastor Adam Gray spoke about the importance of unity within our communities and how we can transform change.
The Circle of Faith ministry promises to be, “a welcoming, affirming, diverse, progressive, nonjudgmental community of Christian discipleship and Service.” Located in the heart of Midtown, Circle of Faith aims to connect the community through love.
Gray spoke that morning as he usually would, preaching to those who attended in person the same to those online. His message rang true for unity, “the society of god,” as he put it, is how we all relate to one another, no matter where they were attending from.
“I have here flour, sugar, and water, all the ingredients to make bread– but they will never become bread until action is taken by the yeast,” he said, “the intentional action of adding yeast can create a beautiful change, a transformation from three separate ingredients into one delicious bread.”
His words brought out the heart of the Circle of Faith. “As separate members of a community, man or woman, gay or straight, black or white, doctor or GED student, these people would not typically mix in a society, but here they do,” he said.
He encouraged all walks of life to be the yeast, to work together with intent, so that as a society, we can stop separating one another and transform. Gray said, “we all need to catch this vision of making bread, then we will have the potential for all of our relationships to be changed.”
The service ran flawlessly, from the beautiful hymns sung to the extended prayers made for those in need, both virtually and present. The Circle of Faith invites people to come together on Sunday mornings, as they are, however they feel comfortable.
— Jessica Stewart
Pentecostal Temple Church of God in Christ: “A Fresh Start”
Elder Kieth Ash leading praise and worship at Pentecostal Temple Church of God in Christ. The church is located at 2230 22nd St. S, St. Petersburg (USF/Malique Ferrette)
At first glance, all seemed more normal than not as the Pentecostal Temple Church of God in Christ service was live streamed and watched from the comfort of a TV screen at home.
The program, despite being carried out digitally, made for an easy transition into worship led by Elder Kieth Ash and then into the “word” preached by Pastor William E. Anderson.
Skepticism became a reassured comfort as the mood was set through the fervent affirmations of the praise team that “it’s shifting.” This, a reference to anything that may be going wrong in life right now. Ash asserted that, “God has given us the power to speak to mountains and tell them to move,” as he went on to pray and declare this change.
One comment on the Facebook live feed read, “late night in the midnight hour. God’s gonna work in our favor!” Another; “Hallelujah thank you Lord!” And yet another; “Victory is mine!” Despite their attendance as virtual, people were moved. Worship was charged and lively.
Those presenting, singing or praying did not wear masks as they were socially distanced however, everso often other members who appeared on screen did have masks or facial coverings.
With a focus on the subject of “a fresh start,” Anderson reflected on a gentleman he met earlier in the week whose mask was dirty, and who needed food and complained that he had no money. Though he had helped by giving a few dollars to the man, he still felt “convicted” because he failed to offer the man an opportunity for a fresh start by introducing him to Jesus.
The sermon continued with references to characters in the Bible who found themselves in need of a reset and were eventually given one.
“God is more concerned with our future than he is with our past,” Anderson asserted as someone commented, “Preach the word pastor!” His point was to shift people’s focus on what God couldn do for them even now.
S.T.A.R.T was the acronym shared as the formula for a new start; S — stop making excuses based on the past, T — take an inventory of our lives, A — act in faith, R — refocus, and T — trust in God.
It was an immersive experience as their Holy Communion was taken after the sermon, final remarks were made and an overall invitation was given for membership in closing.
— Malique Ferrette
Campbell Park Community Church: We Are Not Alone
Campbell Park Community Church is located at 1035 Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. St. S, St. Petersburg. (USF/Kristen Boehm)
Campbell Park Community Church has been conducting their services virtually each Sunday for the last year. Before the pandemic, recorded in-person services were posted on Facebook so anyone who had missed church could go back and watch.
Service began with a prayer from Pastor James Smith followed by Trust In You, a gospel song that rang out with themes of community and reliance. “You did not create me to worry, you did not create me to fear.” These words fell heavy because of the ways the pandemic has frightened us.
Smith started praying over specific people of the congregation calling out the names of those suffering from cancer and others who were sick. “We lift up all those who are sick right now before you,” Smith said.
After another song of praise, it was time for the sermon. The entirety of the sermon was intertwined with prayer intended to hand over worries to God. The congregants were reminded that they could not carry the weight of everything that has been happening in the world.
Minister Walter Brady highlighted scripture concerning the idea of predestination. He talked about what that means for Christians and used quotes from the Bible to point the congregation back to what predestination means for believers.
Brady also spoke on growth in a Christian’s faith and intimate relationship with God. He highlighted virtues that a Christian should be striving for and practicing in order to grow in their faith.
