Baptist & Reflector

Telling the Story of Tennessee Baptists Since 1835

  • Home
  • Tennessee
  • SBC
  • Columnists
  • Culture
  • SS Lessons
  • Tennescene
  • Radio B&R

COVID OUTBREAK OF MORE THAN 40 CASES TIED TO REVIVAL AT RURAL ALABAMA CHURCH

July 29, 2020

By Grace Thornton
Baptist Press

STRAWBERRY, Ala. — James Carson has watched the church he loves go through a lot in the past two years. When its building went up in flames in August 2018, he saw the smoke from his house across the cow pasture. It was a long process, but they rebuilt.

And now he’s watching from home again as his beloved church family at Warrior Creek Baptist Church in Strawberry goes through another crisis — a COVID-19 outbreak.

More than 40 members, including Pastor Darryl Ross, contracted the virus after the church’s annual revival during the week of July 19.

“Right now they say this area is a hotspot,” said Carson, a World War II vet featured in May by The Alabama Baptist. “That was sort of a shocker to us.”

Carson is in his 90s and — along with his wife Dot who is also considered high-risk for severe effects from the virus — hasn’t attended church since April at his doctor’s recommendation. But he said the indoor services were guided by social distancing protocols.

The church, which is located in a rural community south of Huntsville and usually runs between 80 and 100 in services, met for a while during the pandemic with drive-in services.

In June, Warrior Creek Baptist was back to some normal gatherings. Last week, an annual weeklong revival started as usual — but this year they only made it to Thursday.

That was when Ross learned one of the men attending had tested positive even though he had no symptoms. The church shut the revival down, and “by Friday night, I’ve got church members sick everywhere,” Ross told Al.com.

Ross also tested positive, but told the news outlet he had few symptoms.

Masks weren’t required for the revival, which Ross said many members skipped; he said those who did attend practiced social distancing at the level they were comfortable with. He told Al.com: “”If you were comfortable shaking hands, you shook hands. If you didn’t, you didn’t.”

No one with COVID-19 has been hospitalized so far, but two of the cases were serious, according to Ross. He told The Alabama Baptist that even though the group has been pretty ill, they are “getting better.” B&R

Facebooktwittermail

Filed Under: News, SBC Tagged With: coronavirus, COVID-19

Subscribe Classifieds Advertise About

Recent Posts

  • RANDY ADAMS ANNOUNCED AS NOMINEE FOR SBC PRESIDENT
  • MRM’S ‘RADAR O’REILLY’ RETIRES AFTER 20 YEARS
  • ARE YOU READY TO RECONCILE IN 2021?
  • COVID-19 RELIEF BILL INCLUDES CHURCHES
  • LITTON TO BE NOMINATED FOR SBC PRESIDENT

Tags

abortion baptisms Baptist Collegiate Ministries Bible: Acts Bible: Luke Bible: Matthew Bible: Psalms Carson-Newman University childhood Christmas church revitalization Cooperative Program coronavirus COVID-19 Disaster Relief education ERLC evangelism family Five Objectives Golden Offering homosexuality IMB international LifeWay Lonnie Wilkey Lottie Moon missions money NAMB pastors prayer racial reconciliation Radio B&R Randy C. Davis SBC SBC annual meeting sports Summit TenneScene Union University volunteers WMU Woman's Missionary Union youth

Recent Posts

  • RANDY ADAMS ANNOUNCED AS NOMINEE FOR SBC PRESIDENT
  • MRM’S ‘RADAR O’REILLY’ RETIRES AFTER 20 YEARS
  • ARE YOU READY TO RECONCILE IN 2021?
  • COVID-19 RELIEF BILL INCLUDES CHURCHES
  • LITTON TO BE NOMINATED FOR SBC PRESIDENT
  • GEORGIA PASTOR, FORMER EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE CHAIRMAN STONE TO BE NOMINATED FOR SBC PRESIDENT

Tags

abortion baptisms Baptist Collegiate Ministries Bible: Acts Bible: Luke Bible: Matthew Bible: Psalms Carson-Newman University childhood Christmas church revitalization Cooperative Program coronavirus COVID-19 Disaster Relief education ERLC evangelism family Five Objectives Golden Offering homosexuality IMB international LifeWay Lonnie Wilkey Lottie Moon missions money NAMB pastors prayer racial reconciliation Radio B&R Randy C. Davis SBC SBC annual meeting sports Summit TenneScene Union University volunteers WMU Woman's Missionary Union youth

Categories

Bible Studies for Life Culture Explore the Bible Featured News Opinion Column Radio B&R SBC Sunday School Lessons Tennessee Uncategorized

Copyright © 2021 · Metro Pro Theme on Genesis Framework · WordPress · Log in