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Some Utah Churches Begin In Person Worship, Others Continue Virtual Services

Following the pandemic, churches across the state adjusted to different ways of worship that complied with social distancing.

“We’re just passing three months and we have been doing worship with each other via YouTube," Derek Forbes said.

 

Forbes is a pastor at the First Presbyterian Church in Logan. Each week, he prepares an hour-long YouTube video for his congregation. Filming is done in segments so that only one or two people are in the room at a time. 

The video means worshippers can listen to sermons whenever they like, instead of a set time each week. 

“People don’t mind doing it, what they miss is just the connection with their friends and the people at church," he said.

Like most churches in Utah, Forbes said the online worship was an adjustment for those who attend, but he feels like they are now used to the new system and it has been working well. 

Some churches in Utah have been resuming in-person worship, including The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints that announced a two-phase approach for congregations to go back to church. 

However, because of the large outbreak of the coronavirus in Logan, Forbes said his church has no plans of reopening anytime soon. 

“We realize it’s just a little more risky, so we’re gonna wait a while," he said.

He said the church will likely hold outdoor services sometime in the future and make small steps to fully holding indoor sermons. 

This kind of transition seems to be a common solution for other Utah churches and congregations.