GREENFIELD — A church has returned to solely online services for the next couple weeks after a parishioner tested positive for COVID-19.
Pastor Tommy Hensley of Bethel Baptist Church posted on the church’s Facebook page on Saturday, June 27, that the church learned of the case that day.
“We feel that the pastoral staff may possibly have been exposed and although are not presenting symptoms at this time, we want to do our due diligence in keeping each family of our congregation as safe as possible,” Hensley said in the post.
The post goes on to state that the church will go back to having online services only for the next two weeks.
“This is the time frame that has been recommended during exposure and what we feel is appropriate for the safety of our church family,” Hensley wrote.
The church, 1610 S. State St., has services at 10:30 a.m. and 6 p.m. on Sundays and 7 p.m. on Wednesdays. Services are streamed live on the church’s Facebook page, “Bethel Baptist Church Greenfield, IN” and recordings are available afterward. Links to videos of services are also available on the church’s website, bethelbcg.org.
Hensley posted on the church’s Facebook page later on Saturday, reporting that the person who tested positive had no symptoms or any awareness they were infected before attending the Wednesday night, June 24, service. The post adds that the individual came in late, sat alone and left early during invitational with no physical contact other than a fist bump with one person, who has been made aware.
Hensley didn’t return a call seeking comment.
The Hancock County Health Department reaches out to close contacts of county residents who have tested positive for COVID-19. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, “a close contact is defined as anyone who was within 6 feet of an infected person for at least 15 minutes starting from 48 hours before the person began feeling sick until the time the patient was isolated.” Close contacts should stay home and self-quarantine for 14 days, starting from the last day they were possibly exposed to COVID-19.
Greenfield resident Brad Lenser, who’s been attending Bethel Baptist Church for 14 years, said he feels the church made the right decision going back to online-only services for now.
“I think it was definitely the prudent move to make, just for everyone’s safety,” he said.
Lenser said the church had been doing online services only throughout the beginning of the pandemic and had been offering in-person services once again since May 10. He added that he and his family had continued viewing services online up until June and that they enjoy and appreciate that option.
“We still get fed spiritually,” he said.
Lenser also said the church has done a lot to meet capacity and social distancing guidelines to keep the virus at bay from the congregation, which he estimated to total about 500. The church has restricted seating in half the pews; installed hand sanitizing stations throughout the building; cleans the sanctuary between services; has shut down water fountains; and has kept the choir from performing, he said.
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COVID-19 data as of 11:59 p.m. June 29
Hancock County
- 418 cases
- 35 deaths
- 6,081 tests
Indiana
- 45,594 cases
- 2,448 deaths
- 484,196 tests
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