Local churches live-streaming Easter Sunday service

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

Churches around Mid-Missouri will be practicing social distancing on Easter Sunday while still finding innovative ways to have a service.

Some churches even plan to broadcast their worship service on streaming platforms like their websites, the radio and even Facebook live.

First Baptist Church of Centralia pastor Chris Baker says this will be the church's third week of drive up service.

"Our worship team stays small and we maintain social distancing of course we keep the tech team to a minimum," Baker said. "Actually it's myself and our associate pastor, we're running slides and changing screens while the other one is talking and so we're doing everything that we can to keep people as safe as we possibly can."

Pastor Chris Baker said Easter is one of the most important days in the Christian religion and they're going to try their best to work through any technical difficulties.

"We're just going to make the best of the situation, we'll have folks stay in their cars and we'll do worship and preaching, right from the front porch of our church," Baker said. "There's new technological hurdles - we're trying to stream live to Facebook and YouTube at the same time, in addition to broadcasting the FM signal so new, new little little tweaks every week but we're trying our best to make it work."

According to Pew research, 65% of American adults (about 167 million) describe themselves as Christian, and 51 million describe themselves as Catholic.

Emmanuel Lutheran Church in Honey Creek, just outside of Jefferson City says it is also providing drive-in services that can be broadcasted by radio on 104.1 at 7 a.m. and 9:30 a.m.

Going to a place of worship is considered 'essential' in Governor Mike Parson's 'Stay Home Missouri' order.