BATAVIA TOWNSHIP, MI (WTVB) – With the COVID-19 pandemic shutting down traditional Easter church services this year, the Coldwater Area Ministerial Association will be hosting a special drive-in Easter service at the Capri Drive-In on Sunday morning.
The one hour service starts at 10:00 a.m. and those who plan on attending are being told restroom facilities will not available and they will have to stay in their vehicles.
Pastor Harold Jewell from the Oasis of Love Family Church said they plan to preach from the roof of the concession stand.
Pastor Jim Erwin of Bethel Gilead Community Church said the Capri’s sound system will be used so people can listen in their vehicles.
The drive-in service has generated a lot of social media commentary in recent days. While it’s been praised by some, others feel it should not be held in light of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Dave Fowler, who is the Branch County Clinic Director from the Community Health Agency, encourages everyone to be responsible and maintain appropriate social distancing which means staying in your vehicle and not loading up the vehicle with people from outside of your household.
The Branch County Prosecutors Office and the Sheriff’s Office told the organizers this week that even though it appears to be allowable under the Governor’s current Executive Order, it was strongly encouraged the facilitators and participants practice appropriate social distancing measures as suggested by the C.D.C. and Governor’s Office.
Prosecutor Val White and Sheriff John Pollack also encouraged the Capri to limit participants in order to comply with social distancing measures and to limit participants to those from the local community in order to reduce the potential of exposure to COVID-19 from members of other areas who may have had more exposure to the virus than Branch County residents.
