Category: Faith

Faith news

Many in-person church services in Wyandotte County have been canceled because of efforts to stop the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic. Wyandotte County is under a “stay-at-home” order and all meetings must be no more than 10 persons per gathering, spaced at least six feet apart. Some faith groups will hold video services instead.
We will try to update this list as we learn of more services in the area. Residents are advised to visit the social media page of their church or faith organization, or to call them or email them, to see changes that have been made to regular schedules, or if there are video services planned on Sunday.

The Archdiocese of Kansas City in Kansas, because of the COVID-19 pandemic, is planning some video Masses during Holy Week. The Archdiocese of Kansas City in Kansas is planning to livestream and broadcast Holy Week services from the Cathedral of St. Peter in Kansas City, Kansas. The livestream schedule includes 7:30 p.m. Holy Thursday Mass, April 9; 3 p.m. Good Friday service, April 10; 7:30 p.m. Easter Vigil Mass, April 11; and 10 a.m. Easter Sunday Mass, April 12. The Good Friday 3 p.m. service and Easter Sunday 10 a.m. Mass will be carried on KMCI-TV, Channel 38, virtual channel 38.1 and UHF digital channel 25, and is on Spectrum Channel 8 and Google Channel 38. The direct livestream is at https://livestream.com/archkck.

The New Bethel Church, 745 Walker Ave., Kansas City, Kansas, plans a “drive-by prayer” from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. on Good Friday, April 10. According to the church, Senior Pastor A. Glenn Brady felt led to host something for the members and community to encourage and uplift families at this time. All social distancing orders will be in effect to continue to prevent and limit the spread of COVID-19, according to the church. The pastors of the New Bethel Church will wear masks and stay at least 6 feet away. Instead of hugging and giving handshakes, they will encourage drivers to honk their horns, flash their lights and praise God in their vehicles, a church official stated. According to the church, Pastor Brady does not take the situation lightly, and he and the NBC leadership team are in constant communication and prayer to ensure wise decisions are being implemented for the health and well-being of the members and the community. For more information, visit www.newbethelkc.org. The church is on Facebook and Instagram @NewBethelKC. The church is planning an online Easter service at 11 a.m. Sunday, April 12 at newbethelkc.org.

Open Door Baptist Church, Kansas City, Kansas, will have livestream services at 10:30 a.m. on Easter Sunday, April 12, on the church’s website https://www.opendoorkc.com/, Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/opendoorkc/, on YouTube and on the church’s app.

Following the restrictions in place for COVID-19, St. John the Baptist Catholic Church will offer the annual Blessing of Food by drive-through on historic Strawberry Hill in Kansas City, Kansas. For more than a century, the parishioners brought food to the church on Holy Saturday where baskets would line the aisles. The food was blessed by the priest during the Croatian Blagoslov or Blessing of Food ceremony. With social distancing in place, Father Peter M. Jaramill decided to continue the tradition. Parishioners are planning to drive by the front of the church without leaving their vehicle as Father Peter blesses the food at 10 a.m. Holy Saturday, April 11. Father Jaramillo is the pastor for three parishes: St. John the Baptist, Holy Family and St. Mary-St. Anthony’s, all located on historic Strawberry Hill. The parishioners are planning to go from Fifth and Barnett, east on Barnett down the hill, and then turn left on Fourth Street, driving in front of the church, and then moving on. St. John the Baptist Catholic Church also is planning Easter Sunday Mass at 10:30 a.m. on St. John’s Facebook page, www.facebook.com/ourcroatianparish/.

Stony Point Christian Church, Kansas City, Kansas, is posting devotional messages on its Facebook page during Holy Week, at https://www.facebook.com/StonyPointChristianChurch/.

St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, Kansas City, Kansas, will not hold in-person services during Holy Week. However, the parish will livestream its services on Facebook. See stpaulskck.org. A Maundy Thursday service will be linked with the National Cathedral in Washington, D.C., at 6 p.m. April 9; Good Friday services will be linked with Grace Cathedral, Topeka, at noon and 7 p.m. April 10; and Easter Sunday services will be livestreamed from St. Paul’s at 10 a.m. April 12.

Easter worship for Wyandotte United Methodist Church can be viewed on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/Wyandotteumc/ or on the website at www.wyandotteumc.com .

Information about other church services in Wyandotte County may be available from the church’s social media page.
To send in items for the Faith News, email information to news@g3f.1db.myftpupload.com. Please include your name and contact information.

Easter services move online in Kansas as governor issues new order limiting numbers

Fifty-seven Kansas counties now have positive cases of COVID-19, according to the KDHE. (KDHE map)
This graph shows new cases in blue and the total number of cases in yellow. In the last day, there were not as many new cases as the day before. (KDHE graph)

For many faith groups in Kansas, religious services already have moved online or to the airwaves under the leadership of church officials.

For those who didn’t, Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly issued a new executive order placing faith groups and funeral services under the same 10-person limit as other gatherings. The order goes into effect at 12:01 p.m. Wednesday.

The timing of the order is just before Holy Week, Easter and Passover services this week.

The number of positive COVID-19 cases in Kansas rose to 900 on Tuesday morning, the governor said, including 27 deaths. There are positive cases in 57 of the 105 counties.

At 3:10 p.m. Tuesday, Wyandotte County reported 194 positive cases, with 10 total deaths.

Holy Week is underway, and with Kansas approaching a peak in the coming weeks, the risk of COVID-19 cases through additional church gatherings is especially dangerous, Gov. Kelly said. She said the action taken brings her sadness.

The governor mentioned three clusters of churches or religious gatherings where COVID-19 has spread in Kansas, comprising 25 percent of the clusters being tracked by the Kansas Department of Health and Environment.

Three church meetings were in Wyandotte County before the stay-at-home orders went into effect on March 24. The church gatherings did not violate the law. According to the Unified Government Health Department’s Facebook page, the three church-related clusters were the Ministers Conference at Miracle Temple Church of God in Christ March 16-22; a gala on March 14 at Rising Star Baptist Church; and the Power Realm Church of God in Christ, all in Wyandotte County.

Gov. Kelly said she consulted with the emergency management team, state Health Department and local leaders to issue the new executive order.

“My action today does not ban funerals from taking place or religious gatherings,” Gov. Kelly said. “I’m wholly committed to protecting Kansas’ religious liberty as governor. Both attending and conducting religious services remains a designated essential function and cannot be prohibited by local orders. Gatherings must simply be limited to 10 individuals at a time.”

Also, all present at the services must adhere to appropriate safety protocols including social distancing and hygiene, she said.

Gov. Kelly said she encouraged all faith leaders to use methods that do not involve in-person congregations.

“This was a difficult decision and could not come at a more disappointing time,” Gov. Kelly said.

Kansans rely on faith leaders for counsel and support especially during difficult times, and especially during Holy Week, she said.

She said she spoke with faith leaders in Kansas and was told that many had already recognized the danger of celebrating with in-person services, and have implemented alternatives. She said churches are livestreaming services, and holding services in parking lots with people staying in cars.

She said thousands of others, including those not actively religious, were affected with the postponement of Easter egg hunts, big dinners with family and friends, and baskets of candy, customs that have all been put on pause, she noted. There was no Easter egg hunt at the governor’s residence this year, she added.

Gov. Kelly also said she does not plan to attend Easter services in person this year.

“These mitigation efforts are a primary defense against COVID-19,” she said. “If we’ve learned anything in the past few weeks, it’s that physical distance does not keep us apart.”

In Wyandotte County, the original local stay-home order did include a 10-person limit on gatherings including church services and funeral services. Then the local order was overridden by the governor’s original order, which specified social distancing but did not give a number limit on church and funeral gatherings. Other groups were limited to 10 in the original governor’s order. In Wyandotte County’s original order, churches were not listed as essential, but they are essential in the governor’s order. The new guidance from KDHE stated that if they are more restrictive, local orders now will override the state’s orders.

Today’s action brings the churches and funerals under the same 10-person limit as other gatherings in the state, according to the governor. The governor’s new order stated that the order prohibits gatherings of more than 10 congregants or parishioners in the same building or same space. Those conducting the service, including ministers, choir, readers and liturgists, may exceed 10 if they maintain a six-foot distance and follow directives on hygiene, according to the new order.

To view the new Executive Order 20-18, visit https://governor.kansas.gov/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/20-18-Executed.pdf.

To see the governor’s news conference, visit https://www.facebook.com/GovLauraKelly/videos/790101771515530/ .

The Kansas Department of Health and Environment issued new guidance on churches, posted at https://www.kdheks.gov/coronavirus/toolkit/Church_Sevices_Guidance.pdf.

The state’s COVID-19 website is at https://govstatus.egov.com/coronavirus.

The Wyandotte County COVID-19 website is at https://alpha.wycokck.org/Coronavirus-COVID-19-Information.

Hospitalized patients in yellow, and nonhospitalized positive COVID-19 patients in blue, by age group. (KDHE chart)

Faith news

Many church services in Wyandotte County have been canceled because of efforts to stop the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic. Wyandotte County is under a “stay-at-home” order and all meetings must be no more than 10 persons per gathering, spaced at least six feet apart. Some will hold video services instead.

Residents are advised to visit the social media page of their church or faith organization, or to call them or email them, to see changes that have been made to regular schedules, or if there are video services planned on Sunday.


Public Masses have been canceled in the Archdiocese of Kansas City in Kansas, until further notice because of the COVID-19 pandemic, but some video Masses are planned. The Archdiocese of Kansas City in Kansas is planning to post a video Mass for Roman Catholics at 10 a.m. on Sunday, April 5, at https://www.facebook.com/archbishopnaumann/ or https://livestream.com/archkck/palmsunday?fbclid=IwAR2i7SEwEJEV22RXpcQlPuNSKb4Oe9OHCGqKTVTHnCWfkcpdwYilWSTTf1A. There may be other video Masses posted in Kansas City, Kansas – check the church’s social media site.

Grinter Chapel United Methodist Church, Kansas City, Kansas, plans a video church service at 10 a.m. on the church’s Facebook page, https://www.facebook.com/GrinterChapelUMC/.


Oak Ridge Missionary Baptist Church, Kansas City, Kansas, is not holding in-person services, but is planning to have online services on Sunday, April 5, at http://ormbc.org. For more information, visit the website.


Open Door Baptist Church, Kansas City, Kansas, will have livestream services at 10:30 a.m. on Sunday, April 5, on the church’s website https://www.opendoorkc.com/, Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/opendoorkc/, on YouTube and on the church’s app.


Stony Point Christian Church, Kansas City, Kansas, is not having in-person services, but will have a message online on Sunday, April 5, at https://www.facebook.com/StonyPointChristianChurch/.


St. Patrick Catholic Church, Kansas City, Kansas, has an online Palm Sunday Mass April 5 at https://www.facebook.com/StPatrickKCK/.

St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, Kansas City, Kansas, will not have an in-person public service, but is planning to have a livestream video of its 10 a.m. Palm Sunday service April 5. at https://www.facebook.com/StPaulsKCK.

Wyandotte United Methodist Church, Kansas City, Kansas, will not have in-person services on Sunday, April 5, but is planning to have videos posted Sunday, April 5, on its webpage at http://wyandotteumc.com/.

Information about other church services in Wyandotte County may be available from the church’s social media page.
To send in items for the Faith News, email information to news@g3f.1db.myftpupload.com. Please include your name and contact information.