KANSAS CITY, Mo. — When the novel coronavirus hit and social distancing went into effect, area churches were forced to close their doors and launch worship services online.
Some Kansas City-area pastors who were not social media savvy faced an instant challenge.
Pastor Ray Stewart of Grace and Truth Baptist Church in Independence, Missouri, admitted he struggled.
"There have been many churches that have live streamed all along, but we weren't one of them. So, I had to then go through this learning mode, this curve on how to stream, how to make it look professional," Stewart said.
He said he jumped feet-first into unfamiliar territory
"I did the first stream in front of a computer and I was very close to it and it came out — the teaching material was good; but the visual material was not so good," he said.
Technology guru to the churches, Lisandro Gonzalez, came to the rescue. He is a staff pastor at Iglesia Bautista, Living Word Baptist Church in Northeast Kansas City and part of the Blue River Kansas City Baptist Association.
"Some pastors were like, 'I don't know about this Zoom, blah blah,' but once they start seeing each other, they were like 'Wow, this is great,' and they were able to see all their members," Gonzalez said.
A few coaching sessions later and Stewart said he is feeling like a pro.
"I've learned how to put a beginning on it, put an ending on it, add music to it," Stewart said.
His technology teacher is proud.
"I think it's exciting. I think that people, once they start realizing, they say, 'Oh, now I can do so and so,'" Gonzalez said.
On a typical Sunday, 100 people attend his church. Online on Palm Sunday, he had more than 1,000 views.
"We have become so accustomed to having church in a building that we assume that that was the way to do it. But God has opened an entirely new door for us," Gonzalez said.
Now Stewart, a social media late-comer, is a new convert to combining the spiritual and virtual.
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