Easter church gatherings went viral for the most part
Rev. Wayne Gillard II preaches to empty pews Sunday morning during a Facebook Live Easter sermon at Monument of Love Church in Orange Mound on April 12, 2020. (Ziggy Mack/Special to Daily Memphian)
Sharon Green operates the camera during a Facebook Live Easter sermon amongst empty church pews inside Monument of Love Church in Orange Mound on Sunday, April 12, 2020. (Ziggy Mack/Special to Daily Memphian)
Pastor Derrick Joyce enjoys the music during Facebook Live Easter sermon amongst empty church pews inside Monument of Love Church in Orange Mound on April 12, 2020. (Ziggy Mack/Special to Daily Memphian)
10:49 a.m. Easter at Mississippi Boulevard Christian Church (Tom Bailey/The Daily Memphian)
9:50 a.m. Easter, Bellevue Baptist Church (Tom Bailey/The Daily Memphian)
10:10 a.m., Easter, St. Francis of Assisi Catholic Church (Tom Bailey/The Daily Memphian)
10:20 a.m., Easter, Advent Presbyterian Church (Tom Bailey/The Daily Memphian)
10:23 a.m., Easter, Life Church Cordova, Easter (Tom Bailey/The Daily Memphian)
10:47 a.m., Easter, Hope Presbyterian Church (Tom Bailey/The Daily Memphian)
11:06 a.m., Easter, Germantown Presbyterian Church (Tom Bailey/The Daily Memphian)
11:06 a.m., Easter, St. George's Episcopalian Church (Tom Bailey/The Daily Memphian)
11:08 a.m., Easter, Germantown United Methodist Church (Tom Bailey/The Daily Memphian)
11:17 a.m., Easter, Kirby Woods Baptist Church (Tom Bailey/The Daily Memphian)
11:21 a.m., Easter, First Evangelical Church (Tom Bailey/The Daily Memphian)
9:30 a.m., Easter, First Baptist Church Broad (Tom Bailey/The Daily Memphian)
11:32 a.m., Easter, Christ United Methodist Church (Tom Bailey/The Daily Memphian)
11:58 a.m., Easter, Temple of Deliverance COGIC (Tom Bailey/The Daily Memphian)
11:54 a.m., Easter, Pentecostal Temple COGIC (Tom Bailey/The Daily Memphian)
11:43 a.m., Easter, Idlewild Presbyterian Church (Tom Bailey/The Daily Memphian)
11:35 a.m., Easter, Second Presbyterian Church (Tom Bailey/The Daily Memphian)
Stephanie Scoot hands out individual communion packets to parishioners of the Cathedral of Praise's Good Friday Drive-Thru Communion April 10, 2020. (Patrick Lantrip/Daily Memphian)
A member of the Cathedral of Praise church lowers his mask to receive communion during the church's Good Friday Drive-Thru Communion service April 10, 2020. (Patrick Lantrip/Daily Memphian)
Chris Foster, lead pastor of the Cathedral of Praise church, blesses a parishoners car during his church's Good Friday Drive-Thru Communion service April 10, 2020. (Patrick Lantrip/Daily Memphian)
Pam Elkin helps direct traffic during the Cathedral of Praise's Good Friday Drive-Thru Communion service April 10, 2020. (Patrick Lantrip/Daily Memphian)
Individual communion packets were handed out to parishioners of the Cathedral of Praise during the church's Good Friday Drive-Thru Communion service April 10, 2020. (Patrick Lantrip/Daily Memphian)
The parking lots of 17 Memphis-area churches were mostly bare Easter morning as they adhered to social-distancing guidelines during the pandemic, but some found ways to engage their congregations nonetheless.
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COVID-19 Easter social distancingTom Bailey
Tom Bailey retired in January as a business reporter at The Daily Memphian, and after 40 years in journalism. A Tupelo, Mississippi, native, he graduated from Mississippi State University. He has lived in Midtown for 36 years.
Michael Waddell
Michael Waddell is a native Memphian with more than 20 years of professional writing and editorial experience, working most recently with The Daily News and High Ground News.
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