Local Church Reinventing Worship Service Amid Coronavirus Pandemic

By Bronson Woodruff

KOSSUTH, Miss. (Take 30 News) --- Wheeler Grove Baptist Church in Kossuth, Mississippi is continuing regularly scheduled church services, but in an unusual way. Church Deacon Adam Fowler explained the church is reaching people differently.

“We have a transmitter that will transmit to their car on 88.9 so they can actually listen inside the car and hear it just like they were inside the sanctuary,” Fowler said.

According to Fowler, this past Sunday was the church’s second drive-in service. He said the church saw double its attendance that day than the Sunday before, and he said he hopes that trend will continue.

“This is an avenue for people to come to church without having to get out of their cars, without having to interact with other people,” Fowler said, “but they get to interact by honking their horns and be a part of the service that way.”

Church attendee Casen Woodruff said he enjoys this temporary change more than going inside any church to have service. 

“I loved it more than another church because if you stayed in the car, you can actually just sit there and relax, you can talk to the person sitting beside you whenever there’s a break,” Casen said.

Fowler said he thinks the radio service option is making a difference in the community.

“I think it’s making an impact because we’ve had several visitors come,” he said. “We had people contact us last week saying, ‘we understand y’all are going to have church, and my church is not meeting, so would it be okay if we come to your drive-in church’, and of course everybody is welcome.”