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SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 29, 2020 | PAGE 13
Faith &
Family
A different approach to church BY RACHEL WARTIAN STAFF WRITER
Once COVID-19 kept everyone at home in March, the everyday routine changed for many — especially when it came to Sunday morning church. Churches in Suffolk had to consider their congregation’s size and vulnerability while making decisions on how to move forward to continue to meet. Due to its large congregation size, The Mount Suffolk has remained online since the lockdown began in March. According to Suffolk’s Site Pastor Karl Wilkins, even in Phase III, the church had more than 250 members that would want to come. “Our congregation is so large that there is no way we could come back together,” said Wilkins. The Mount Church has nine locations throughout the Hampton Roads area, with a few in North Carolina. The church would meet at 10 a.m. on Sunday mornings at King’s Fork High School. Now the church service rotates through highlighting a different site each week as that pastor preaches on Tuesday nights on Facebook Live. See CHURCH, 15
Suffolk Presbyterian Church meets outside every fourth Sunday to follow the COVID-19 gathering restrictions.
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PAGE 14 | SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 29, 2020
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Suffolk Church Directory
Suffolk has a strong and diverse faith community. Below is a listing of some of Suffolk’s many churches. If your church was left out, make sure to let us know at 934-9609 so we can include it next year. AFRICAN METHODIST EPISCOPAL Macedonia AME Church 127 Pine St. 539-4502
635 Brook Ave. 934-1047 Liberty Harbour View 7025 Harbour View Blvd. 826-2110 Little Bethel Baptist Church 6533 Everets Road 255-4945 Little Grove Baptist Church 6320 Old Town Point Road 484-4496
Saint Mark’s AME Zion Church 817 McKinley Ave. 539-5560
Little Mount Zion Baptist Church 3288 Pruden Blvd. 539-1991
APOSTOLIC Faith Temple Apostolic Church 476 Wellons St. 934-2735
Macedonia Baptist Church 8300 Crittenden Road 238-2562
Evergreen Apostolic Faith Church of God Live On 2409 Nansemond Parkway 539-7755 ASSEMBLY OF GOD Bethel Assembly of God Church 8904 S. Quay Road 657-6188 BAPTIST Balm of Gilead Missionary Baptist Church 3731 White Marsh Road 934-1700 Canaan Baptist Church 2064 Nansemond Parkway 538-1841 Community Baptist Church 3520 Pruden Blvd. 539-7907 Crosspointe Freewill Baptist Church 2460 Pruden Blvd. 923-9059 Diamond Grove Baptist Church 6890 Crittenden Road 255-4770 East End Baptist Church 1056 Portsmouth Blvd. 539-3324 First Baptist Church — Holland 6508 Cumberland Lane 562-0595
Metropolitan Baptist Church 125 County St. 539-2696 Mineral Spring Baptist Church 4849 Mineral Spring Road 986-3994 Missouri Baptist Church 2020 Lake Cohoon Road 934-1176 Mount Sinai Baptist Church 6100 Holy Neck Road 657-6212 Nansemond River Baptist Church 2896 Bridge Road 484-3423 New Hope Baptist Church 4260 Pughsville Road 484-8939 New First Baptist Church 1105 Hosier Road 934-0833 New Olive Branch Baptist Church 9364 Gates Road 562-0107 Oak Grove Baptist Church 2635 E. Washington St. 539-8012 Olive Branch Baptist Church 5200 Milners Road 255-7348 Palm Tree Baptist Church 8165 Whaleyville Blvd. 986-4303
First Baptist Church — Mahan Street 112 Mahan St. 539-6623
Pleasant Grove Baptist Church 4481 Butler Drive 986-3648
First Baptist Church — Suffolk 237 N. Main St. 539-4152
Pleasant Union Baptist Church 215 Webb St. 539-0367
Gethsemane Baptist Church 1656 Copeland Road 539-5894 Great Fork Baptist Church 180 Great Fork Road 986-4185 Greater First Baptist Church — Orlando 600 Factory St. 539-0032 Healing Chapel Baptist Church 2375 Godwin Blvd. 934-0527 Hillcrest Baptist Church 1637 Holland Road 539-8801 Holland Baptist Church 6519 Holland Road 657-2424 Lakeview Missionary Baptist Church
Saint Paul Baptist Church 806 Lincoln Ave. 539-9692 Sixth Street Baptist Church 324 Goodman St. 539-6629 Southside Baptist Church 917 Carolina Road 539-6629 Suffolk Bible Baptist Church 510 E. Pinner St. 971-7877 West End Baptist Church 105 Saint James Ave. 539-8771 West Suffolk Baptist Church 1001 Kenyon Court 705-5431 Western Branch Baptist Church 6952 Old Myrtle Road
539-6854 Wilroy Baptist Church 306 Williams Road 539-5658 CATHOLIC St. Mary of the Presentation Catholic Church 202 S. Broad St. 539-5732 CHRISTIAN Berea Christian Church 4109 Driver Lane 538-8872 Bethlehem Christian Church 1549 Holland Road 539-4274 Bethlehem Christian Church 312 Bute St. 539-1167 Cypress Chapel Christian Church 1891 Cypress Chapel Road 986-4096 Holy Neck Christian Church 4400 Holy Neck Road 986-4731
METHODIST Beech Grove United Methodist Church 4245 Driver Lane 538-8353
Liberty Spring Christian Church 4213 Whaleyville Blvd. 986-4403
Ebenezer United Methodist Church 1589 Steeple Drive 238-2359
Mount Zion Christian Church 9061 Eclipse Drive 238-2477
Magnolia United Methodist Church 1764 Wilroy Road 538-8552
Saint John Christian Church 1226 White Marsh Road 925-4885
Main Street United Methodist Church 202 N. Main St. 539-8751
8610 Whaleyville Blvd. 810-9397 Virginia Korean United Methodist Church 5701 Lee Farm Lane 484-5988
Oxford Methodist Church 601 W. Washington St. 539-8253
Wesley Chapel United Methodist Church 220 Kings Highway 255-2259
Providence United Methodist Church 3105 Providence Road 539-9582 Somerton United Methodist Church
See DIRECTORY, 15
Suffolk Christian Church 216 N. Main St. 539-9182 Tabernacle Christian Church Meets at John F. Kennedy Middle School, 2325 E. Washington St. 539-7257 Trinity Christian Church 128 Franklin St. 539-7275
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True Gospel Christian Church 1226 White Marsh Road 539-4458 CHURCH OF GOD IN CHRIST Gates of Heaven COGIC 112 Beech St. 539-3856 Saint Mary’s COGIC 3636 Nansemond Parkway 538-0155 EPISCOPAL Glebe Episcopal Church 4400 Nansemond Parkway 538-8842 St. John’s Episcopal Church 828 Kings Highway 255-4168 Saint Mark Episcopal Church 140 Tynes St. 934-0830
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“In Christ We Live, Under God We Build With Love” Pastor ~ Rev. Dr. Robert L. Hobbs Metropolitan Baptist Church 125 County Street Suffolk, VA 23434
FRIENDS (QUAKER) Somerton Friends Meeting 5239 Quaker Drive 539-6574
LUTHERAN Faith Lutheran Church 2730 Bridge Road 686-0468
(757) 539-6371
110 Kensington
St. Paul’s Episcopal Church 213 N. Main St. 539-2478
LATTER-DAY SAINTS The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints 4759 Bennetts Pasture Road 538-9218
www.nansemondvet.com
Sunday School - 9:15 AM Sunday Worship Service - 10:30 AM Mid-Week Worship 7:00 PM Website: www.metropolitanbaptist1.org Email: info@metropolitanbaptist1.org
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SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 29, 2020 | PAGE 15 SUBMITTED PHOTO
The Rev. Julie Sterling leads an outside worship service at Suffolk Presbyterian Church every fourth Sunday to keep her congregation safe while allowing the opportunity for fellowship during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Church: Changes due to COVID Continued from page 13
Directory: Churches in Suffolk Continued from page 14 Whaleyville United Methodist Church 6312 Whaleyville Blvd. 986-4587
New Mount Joy Food for Living Ministries 307 County St. 539-2931
NON-DENOMINATIONAL Relate Church 4165 Pruden Blvd. 239-2773
New Paul’s Temple Holiness Church of Deliverance 720 Hosier Road 539-0498
Balm Church East Campus, 523 E. Washington St. South Campus, 3731 White Marsh Road 934-1700
Open Door Church 816 Kings Fork Road 934-2671
Believers Church 6801 Bridgeway Drive 488-7541 Christ First Church 116 Romans Road 539-3511 Community Church 1242 Holland Road 405-6000 Covenant Community Church 3504 Robs Drive 539-1724 Divine Church of Deliverance and Transformation 6315 Whaleyville Blvd. 986-5115 Faith House of Refuge 461 E. Washington St. 538-0808 Greater Sweet Beulah Holiness Church 137 Maple St. 539-9535 The Master’s House 4165 Pruden Blvd. 394-3377 The Mount Suffolk Meets at 350 Kings Fork Road 547-3388 New Life Suffolk 540 E. Constance Road 539-7001
Open Hands Christian Fellowship 239 Holladay St. 692-9740 Radiant Life Ministries 100 Kilby Shores Drive 539-1096 Word and Spirit Worship Center 1607 Bridge Road 729-9712 Zion Community Church 5132 Nansemond Parkway 977-1102 PENTECOSTAL Greater Sweet Beulah Pentecostal Holiness Church 137 Maple St. 539-9535 Pentecostals of Suffolk 641 Carolina Road 539-4848 Rising Saint James Pentecostal Holiness Church 201 N. Sixth St. 539-7026 PRESBYTERIAN Saint Andrew Presbyterian Church 1885 Bridge Road 238-3550 Suffolk Presbyterian Church 410 N. Broad St. 539-3213 Westminster Reformed
Presbyterian Church 3488 Godwin Blvd. 539-0540 REFORMED ZION UNION APOSTOLIC Saint Paul RZUA Church 615 Spruce St. 539-2742 SEVENTH-DAY ADVENTIST Capernaum Seventh-Day Adventist Church 314 York St. 934-3518 SYNAGOGUE Temple Beth El 3927 Bridge Road 484-3926 UNITED CHURCH OF CHRIST Antioch United Church of Christ 900 Hull Ave. 539-0667 Corinth Chapel United Church of Christ 7945 Corinth Chapel Road 569-9367 Galatians United Church of Christ 2320 Manning Road 934-0897 Holland United Church of Christ 6733 S. Quay Road 657-6681 Laurel Hill United Church of Christ 8001 S. Quay Road 657-6234 Mount Ararat Christian United Church of Christ 1860 Airport Road 934-0986
As the pandemic keeps the congregation at home, Wilkins has found a different challenge for the church at large. “Our biggest challenge today is bringing church outside of the four walls,” said Wilkins. “It’s been a benefit to Mount Suffolk to find new ways to do church by being in the community.” The Mount Suffolk takes opportunities to do outreach and meet the needs of the community in different ways, including food distribution and gas giveaways. In that way, Wilkins feels the church can still pray, spread the word, encourage and meet needs even though the building remains empty. “Like all those called in ministry to be encouraged,” said Wilkins. “Embrace the life of Jesus since He spent most of his time in the community.” Other churches have created a hybrid solution to keep the congregation safe and allow fellowship. Starting in the summer, Suffolk Presbyterian Church began to meet outside on the lawn every fourth Sunday of the month instead of exclusively online. “People have enjoyed it and having the fellowship again,” said Julie Sterling, pastor at Suffolk Presbyterian
Church. When meeting in person, the church does everything it can to keep those who come safe. Members or guests can either drive up and stay in their cars or sit in lawn chairs well spaced from one another. Each meeting, they take communion in the prepackaged cups to reduce contact spreading of passing a plate. A church member who is a nurse takes everyone’s temperature when they arrive, and everyone wears masks. The church was preparing the sanctuary to return to meeting inside the building when cases started to go up, and Gov. Ralph Northam lowered the gathering limit again. “We have lots of older and high-risk members, so the consensus was to continue meeting online,” said Sterling. Sterling hopes for a Christmas Eve gathering on the lawn this year. A welcome is extended to anyone who would like to join the Christmas Eve service or the other outside services. Other churches have adapted to the three phases and have evolved as time went on. Magnolia United Methodist Church has changed its meetings as the phases allowed. When the world was strictly locked down from March to May, the Rev. Sheena Laine
preached in her home over Facebook Live. Once the weather got nicer from May to October, the church set up an outdoor drive-in. “We endured heat, wind and rain, but we kept going,” said Laine. “I’d get there early on Sundays to set up and have to take it down right after. It was a lot of work.” Since October, the congregation has been able to meet inside the building. The church pews are marked off to ensure proper social distancing is followed, and everyone is required to wear masks. Even though meeting in the sanctuary is a step closer to normal, there are still downsides to meeting back inside. “Preaching to cars was easier than preaching to masks,” said Laine. “I’m in my second year of being pastor at Magnolia and just not wanting to give up.” Despite the change, Magnolia United Methodist Church still does Facebook Live every sermon, whether at a house, in front of cars, or inside the building, to allow anyone not ready to come out yet the opportunity to still see the service. “Just gotta keep going no matter what,” said Laine. “To God be all the glory. I couldn’t do it without Him.”
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FESTIVAL OF MUSIC & LIGHTS Join us for a “walk-through” Festival of Music and Lights from 4:00-6:00 pm on December 24, 2020 at Main Street United Methodist Church. Nativity displays, lighted gardens, decorated sanctuary with Chrismon tree, music, bells and soloists and luminaries to make and take. 202 North Main Street
757-539-8751
www.mainstumc.org
Oakland Christian United Church of Christ 5641 Godwin Blvd. 255-4353 Zion United Church of Christ 5200 Quaker Road 934-0223
Currently mee�ng at 2484 Pruden Blvd.
Watch live at 11 a.m. online @ C3Suffolk.life/churchonline
www.c3suffolk.com • 757-942-2485
We exist to live and love like jesus Christ to see life change through the simplicity of the Gospel