Drive-thru church brings joy to moms

After weeks of being isolated from their church family, scores of moms were yesterday gifted care packages at the Faith Cathedral Deliverance Centre in Kingston, where a Mother’s Day drive-thru service was hosted for members.

More than 100 mothers were handed gift bags containing groceries, face masks, and other items as they entered the church’s compound in vehicles. Prior to attending church, members were given an opportunity to watch the service live-streamed.

The gesture was a welcome one for mother of three Thelma Broderick, whose husband Wentworth drove her to the church’s 104 Waltham Park Road location.

“Just being able to go there and see others, even though we were in the car, it felt good, and it just reminded us that soon, we are going to be able to meet with each other and fellowship with each other,” she said.

“It was like a happy reunion, which brought both laughter and tears of joy, which further underscored the value of our church family,” said Associate Pastor Denise Samuels, who is also a mother.

Church attendance has plunged locally and globally as governments have imposed bans on large public gatherings, with congregations not allowed to exceed a 10-person cap in Jamaica. The measure was implemented to curb the outbreak of the new coronavirus, which was first confirmed in the island on March 10.

Up to Sunday, Jamaica had recorded 502 infections and nine deaths.

In an effort to interact with more of his members, senior pastor Bishop Herro Blair decided to host the drive-thru, a concept he had shared with Prime Minister Andrew Holness about six weeks ago during a meeting with church leaders.

The pastor spent time greeting and praying for his members as they drove by yesterday.

“A couple of them cried,” he said.

“Those whose families had been affected [by COVID-19], I was able to pray personally with them in their cars. It was heart-rending to hear their cries and their screams, like birds being set free from their cages,” he said.

In addition to those mothers who received their gift packages at church, the clergyman also personally visited shut-in mothers yesterday to drop off packages.

“I just delivered to a mother, and I have two or three more deliveries to make,” he told The Gleaner shortly after 11 a.m.

Members of the church’s missionary ministry had also intensified their distribution of cooked meals and grocery supplies to the most vulnerable in the last few weeks, while leaders and administrative team members have been conducting regular check-ups.

Faith Cathedral’s twist followed in the footsteps of the Portmore Holiness Christian Church, which hosted a drive-in church service on May 3.

nadine.wilson@gleanerjm.com