Keeping the faith: Hillsboro church leaders adapting in the time of coronavirus
Apr 7, 2020 -- Posted by :By Cory Erickson, Hillsboro Banner
The church has left the building.
That is how Pastor Joe Johnson describes the faith community’s global response to the COVID-19 pandemic that has upended everyday life.
Houses of worship across America have closed as part of a sweeping effort to bar public gatherings and mitigate the spread of the disease caused by the new coronavirus.
But Johnson, minister at Hillsboro’s Our Savior’s Lutheran Church, and other pastors around the region are finding new, digital ways to reach parishioners from the comfort of their homes.
“I’ve never really been a technology guy,” Johnson says with a chuckle. “I’ve had to step up my game, and it’s been a blessing to do it.”
Our Savior’s Lutheran Church has temporarily moved to online Sunday worship, with Johnson and his wife, Amanda, leading worship in front of their home fireplace.
The fireside services feature the Johnsons playing music and holding a typical service with Scripture readings and uplifting messages.
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(Photo - Charlie Johnson/Special to the Banner)