Written by Alex Littlehales. Originally published by WJCL: https://www.wjcl.com/amp/article/keeping-faith-savannah-churches-adjust-to-hurdles-through-covid-19-outbreak/32308873
The red doors at St. Matthew's Episcopal Church have been closed for weeks, but the Rev. Guillermo Arboleda is adjusting to the new normal.
“Extended through Easter, now we’re until further notice, we’re on hold," Arboleda said from his Midtown home.
While churches aim to support local families and communities, that job is made even harder during a time when their resources are cut short. Like many others, Arboleda has switched his congregation's church services online through Facebook live streams.
“So I gather with my musicians, and we put on something that’s similar to a service with my iPhone and tripod I bought for $15 on Amazon," Arboleda said.
But as services continue, so do the base costs for the building, pushing him to apply for loans through the Paycheck Protection Program, to offset the revenue lost without in-person services.
“The regular giving part is both decreasing, because there’s fewer of that unplanned 'I just came to visit so I’ll give a little,'" Arboleda said. "No, we’re not making enough to cover expenses right now."
Miles away, at the St. Peter’s Episcopal Church on Skidaway Island, the Rev. Kelly Steele, an associate Rector, feels a loss of connection with her parishioners.
“To switch everything online took a lot of work," Steele said. "It’s different when you don’t have that larger group, looking out for each other.”
But Arboleda and Steele work through those hurdles together, married and each serving different congregations of the Episcopal diocese in the Savannah area.
But with uncertain times still ahead, the couple feels an impact both personally and financially.
“When it’s on Zoom, you don’t know from pixels how they’re doing," Steele said.
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