Churchgoers throughout Macon County agree on the reason for the season, but the ways they celebrate it this year will be very different from years past.
Even after months of dealing with the virus, COVID-19 is as big a threat to public safety as ever, with cases in Macon County and around the state spiking in recent weeks amid increased holiday travel.
COVID concerns have led many churches to suspend their in-person Christmas plans altogether in favor of virtual ceremonies. At All Saints Episcopal Church, for example, father Jonathan Stepp said parishioners will be observing Christmas through the church’s YouTube channel, just like they have been with their regular services for the past couple of weeks.
“With the COVID caseload doubling in Macon County over the last week and our small chapels making it difficult to socially distance more than a small group of people, our leadership felt that we needed to be cautious and go back to online only,” Stepp said. “We are, of course, very disappointed to not be together in person for this holy time, but our online worship efforts have been well received by our parishioners and others in the community, and we think that our YouTube channel videos can be effective in helping people connect to God while remaining safe and distanced.”
Other churches will still be meeting in person under different circumstances. Pastor Robert Brown at First Baptist Church said his congregation will still meet for a Christmas Eve service, but with social distancing policies in place. Even the candle lighting will be changed up to help participants keep their distance.
“The Christmas Eve service will be candlelight, but with battery powered tea light candles to minimize close contact,” Brown said. “We are asking all who come to any service to wear masks.”
Outside of traditional Christmas services, churches are taking lots of other opportunities to spread holiday cheer. First United Methodist Church held its annual Blue Christmas service for those suffering from grief earlier this month, packed shoeboxes for Operation Christmas Child, sent gifts to local nursing homes and helped collect food for CareNet with the Reverse Advent Box program. FUMC is also welcoming guests to Christmas services in limited quantities and offering online options to everyone else.
“We have surveyed and pre-registered our congregation to try and determine attendance for our Christmas Eve services and how we might accommodate all those who might want to attend in-person,” pastor David Beam said.
Cartoogechaye Baptist Church decided this was the perfect year to go all out with their drive thru nativity scene. The church has held the event every other year for over a decade now and it’s one of the few Christmas celebrations that were already socially distanced. They held it at the Smoky Mountain Center for the Performing Arts during the second weekend of December and were so overwhelmed by the turnout that they had to extend it to the next weekend as well.
“We’ve gotten a lot of good comments about it,” said Wade Shope, a member of the church and a volunteer for the nativity. “The comment I’ve valued most is from the guys who brought the animals. They say they’ve been as far as New York doing things like this and they haven’t seen anything of this size.”
By the end of the two weekends, over 4,500 people had driven through, including locals, visitors from neighboring states and even vacationers from as far away as Canada. For those who are missing their regular Christmas celebrations with their church families, going out to a grand nativity display was a great way to feel connected again.
“It would be wonderful to see our neighbors more, but it’s not safe right now and this is a great alternative,” said Joyce Stewart, who was first in line at the drive-thru on Friday, Dec. 11. “You’d normally have to go to Atlanta for something like this. It’s really something special.”
Officials with the church are glad that the event struck a chord with the public and hope that it will keep their spirits up as Macon County goes through a Christmas unlike any other.
“This has been a tough year for most of us, but what better way to end the year than by honoring and celebrating the birth of Jesus, the one who came to give us hope?” said Cheryl Richter with Cartoogechaye Baptist. “Even though things are hard right now, we urge you not to live your lives being discouraged, but instead, have faith knowing God is always with us and is in control!”