St. John Missionary Baptist Church worships outside on Easter Sunday

By Deon C. Jefferson

The pandemic affected several families and businesses. One of the biggest areas that suffered the most would be the church. Major holidays always impact the attendance. Some churches have opened. The Westside Gazette caught up with Dr. Jovan T. Davis of St. John Missionary Baptist Church in Boynton Beach to discuss how they ushered in Easter in the midst of a pandemic, and what new skills he has learned as a pastor.

According to a recent study from the pewform.org, four-in-ten U.S. Christians (39%) made plans to go to in person church services this weekend for Easter. Studies also indicate that this number was lower than the 62% who would normally go to church on Easter. Pre-Covid-19, St. John Missionary Baptist Church generally would have two church services. The first one would be dedicated to a more traditional service with the traditional choir, congregational hymns, and devotions led by the Deacon board. Meanwhile the afternoon service is more laid back with just a praise team and more contemporary approach to worship.

“I am just grateful to be in the position to provide both”, Davis says. “Prior to the pandemic we had just begun the process of being more intentional about providing virtual service. However, it was the pandemic that opened the door for us to forcefully expand upon it. At the onset it wasn’t easy. I was forced to learn things about technology that I never thought I needed to learn as a pastor, but I am grateful for the understanding”.

Instead of worshipping in an actual sanctuary, St. John worshipped outside at the Boynton Beach High School Stadium. Although the worship experience was spaced out and not as intimate, Pastor Davis and his staff made sure to keep certain elements that regular worship service is keen to have. The praise team ushered in the spirit with resounding selections led by Minister Craig Walden of Miami. The Adult Praise Team and  a full band were all placed under tents on the football field. Most of the crowd has not been in a space of worship in over a year, so the pastor’s message really hit home. Pastor Davis brought hope to the congregation with his message of “It’s not permanent”. St. John was very strategic when it comes to the planning of Easter service and other services for the future.

“We are committed to practicing social distancing and following the CDC guidelines,” Davis says. “At this moment we are gradually making our way back into the building with currently only holding services outside with the hope of returning to the building in a limited capacity in the near future.  We processed necessary equipment to be stationed through the church that allows for easy access to sanitizing stations. We also have a professional company coming in to sanitize the entire complex.”

John has a reputation for being advocates in the community. They have been active for over 100 years. Rev. Jovan T. Davis has been leading the congregation since 2015. The church is committed to building the Kingdom of God by empowering and equipping disciples who are reaching UP to God, reaching IN to the church and reaching OUT to the world. Pastor Davis also gave advice on how other churches who may be struggling to find solutions for their congregation, “I believe wholeheartedly that we can do so much more together, Davis says. “I would encourage other churches to look at opportunities to come together in efforts to reach out. We don’t have to do things alone, but we can do things in the community”.