Several local religious institutions are changing the way they host their services to try to combat the spread of COVID-19.
Coronavirus’ spread in the D.C. region has been closely associated with religious gatherings, from Georgetown church where a pastor was infected to the Virginia Theological Seminary where Alexandria had its first identified case. As large social gathering places, churches nationwide are emptying as quarantine orders are ramping up.
Worshipping from home has become a new weekly reality for some Alexandrians. Many of Alexandria’s religious organizations are moving worship services to their websites or to social media apps like Facebook or Zoom:
- Alfred Street Baptist Church (301 S Alfred Street) — the church is hosting a live stream of its service on the church website.
- Cavalry Road Baptist Church (6811 Beulah Street) — in-person services are cancelled but online services start at 9:30 a.m.
- Commonwealth Baptist Church (700 Commonwealth Avenue) — the church has been posting Sunday services on the church’s Facebook page at around 11 a.m.
- Del Ray Baptist Church (2405 Russell Road) — in-person services are cancelled but service is live-streamed at 10:45 a.m. on Sunday via Zoom. The church is, appropriately enough, covering the Book of Revelations.
- Ebenezer Baptist Church (909 Queen Street) — those hoping to join morning prayers on Sunday are invited to call in at (712) 775 7031 and enter the code 974-219.
- Groveton Baptist Church (6511 Richmond Highway) — the church is offering Wednesday prayer sessions at 6:30 p.m. and Sunday worship at 10:30 a.m. live on Facebook.
- Greater New Hope Christian Fellowship — the church is offering service Sunday mornings on Facebook
- Virginia Hills Baptist Church (6507 Telegraph Road) — in-person service is suspended but a virtual service is scheduled for 11 a.m. on Sunday on Facebook Live.
- First Christian Church (2723 King Street) — in-person service has been suspended but the church is offering online Sunday morning service at 11 a.m.
- Bethany Lutheran Church (2501 Beacon Hill Road) — online service is scheduled for 10 a.m. via Facebook
- Epiphany Lutheran Church (5521 Old Mill Road) — online service is scheduled for 9:30 a.m. via Zoom
- Good Shepard Lutheran Church (100 W. Luray Avenue) — online services are scheduled for 8:30 a.m., 9:45 a.m. and 11 a.m. via Zoom
- Immanuel Lutheran Church (1801 Russell Road) — online service is live-streamed Sunday morning
- Peace Lutheran Church (6362 Lincolnia Road) — online services are scheduled Sunday morning at 8 a.m. via Zoom or 10:30 a.m. on Facebook
- Metro Church (3500 Pickett Road) — online services are scheduled for 9 a.m. on Sundays
- First Assembly Alexandria (700 W Braddock Road) — the church has been streaming Sunday services at 10:30 a.m. on Facebook
- Bush Hill Presbyterian Church (4916 Franconia Road) — the church is posting its Sunday services in the empty church on a Youtube channel
- Old Presbyterian Meeting House (316 S. Royal Street) — online-only services are being posted on Sunday at the church website
- Westminster Presbyterian Church (2701 Cameron Mills Road) — online services are being shown live on Sunday at 11 a.m. on Facebook
- Community Praise Church (1400 Russell Road) — the church is rebroadcasting earlier services on Sundays at 9:15 a.m. and 12 p.m. via Zoom.
- Beverley Hills Community United (3512 Old Dominion Blvd.) — virtual services are being posted online on Sundays at the church website
- Del Ray United Methodist Church (100 E. Windsor Avenue) — services are being streamed Sunday morning live on Facebook
- Fairlington United Methodist Church (3900 King Street) — service is being streamed live via Boxcast
- Roberts Memorial United Methodist Church (500 N. Naylor Street) — the church is streaming services on Sunday mornings at 11 a.m. via Zoom with details posted on the chuch’s Facebook page
- Saint James United Methodist Chruch (5200 Fillmore Avenue) — Sunday worship is being live-streamed on Facebook at 11 a.m.
- Trinity United Methodist Church (2911 Cameron Mills Road) — services are live-streamed on Facebook Sunday morning at 11 a.m.
- Washington Street United Methodist Church (115 S. Washington Street) — services will be live-streamed on the church’s Youtube channel at 11 a.m. on Sundays
For Catholic services, Bishop Michael Burbidge announced that all Sunday mass is to be suspended with churches left open daily to no more than 10 congregates at a time. Sunday mass is available online for the diocese at 10:30 a.m.
The Episcopal Diocese of Virginia likewise suspended in-person service but left the churches open to no more than 10 congregates.
Christ Church Episcopal (118 N. Washington Street) is still scheduled to hold online prayer services at 9 a.m. on Sunday and 7:30 a.m. on weekdays.
“Churches may remain open, unless told otherwise by local health officials,” said Bishop Susan Goff in a letter to the congregations. “Church staff may come to work. We will not, however, gather physically for public worship.”
Various local synagogues are hosting online worship or classes.
- Agudas Achim (2908 Valley Drive) — the synagogue is offering online classes through the week
- Beth El Hebrew Congregation (3830 Seminary Road) — the congregation is hosting online Shabbat services Friday at 7:30 p.m. and Saturday at 10:30 a.m. on Facebook. Other religious and social activities are scheduled throughout the week.
Photo by James Cullum
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