During the coronavirus pandemic, churches across the United States have had to invent innovative ways to share the Gospel. Robin Walensky spoke with Memphis Pastor Steve Gaines during her show “Wake Up Memphis” on KWAM The Mighty 990.
Gaines is the pastor of Bellevue Baptist Church and the 61st president of the Southern Baptist Convention. While many are looking at this pandemic negatively, he is choosing to look at things from a different perspective.
“I choose to look at life through the lens of Jesus Christ,” he said.For instance, he said he knew of a pastor in Middle Tennessee that normally has around 150 people attend his services, but the online stream has averaged over 1500 people in views.
“I can only imagine that that’s being replicated exponentially across America,” Gaines said. “I believe God uses these things in ways that we don’t know about.”
One way Pastor Gaines suggested to help coping during the coronavirus pandemic is to turn the attention from yourself to those in need.
“I believe that God has used this in spite of all the difficulties, I think more people are hearing the Gospel of Jesus Christ across America than ever in the history of America,” Gaines said.The pastor says he anticipates Bellevue Baptist Church resuming in-person services in the next few weeks. He said they plan to offer a variety of different services that incorporate social distancing procedures. And he said there will be at least one service for people who want to worship in an environment where everyone is wearing a mask.
