Apr 11, 2020 4 min read

After confusion over whether a drive-in church service was permissible during the pandemic, one planned for Easter Sunday in North Franklin Township will now continue as originally scheduled.

Mt. Hermon Baptist Church in Amwell Township held a drive-in service on Palm Sunday with cars parked in the parking lot of Wild Things Park. Pastor Steve Ramey spoke from the pavilion, broadcasting his sermon over FM radio.

The North Franklin Township supervisors initially said they were unaware the church planned to hold the service, and that it should not have happened, given Gov. Tom Wolf’s statewide stay-at-home order.

However, Bob Sabot, chairman of the board of supervisors, said following discussions with Supervisor Mike Quinn that Ramey will be permitted to use the pavilion for Easter Sunday at 11 a.m.

“The two of us discussed it out a little bit and just came to the conclusion that they seem to have the distancing issues in order. We weren’t going to stand in their way,” Sabot said.

Sabot said he relayed the decision to Ramey, telling him that cars had to be spaced at least six feet apart, and no one was allowed to get out of their car.

“I’m really happy that they reconsidered and were kind enough to let us use the pavilion again,” Ramey said. “I’m going to do everything I can to make sure everyone stays in their cars.”

While the supervisors discussed the situation, state Sen. Camera Bartolotta, R-Carroll Township, was looking into it on her own.

“I know that per the governor’s orders for everything that is allowable, religious services are most certainly exempt,” Bartolotta said.

Bartolotta said she reached out to the Department of Community and Economic Development Thursday evening for clarification, and was told that was the case.

Wolf did amend the stay-home order to say that Pennsylvanians are strongly urged not to gather in religious buildings, and to consider alternative methods of worship.

“Which they’ve done,” Bartolotta said of Mt. Hermon’s congregation. “They’re not getting out of their cars. They tune into the radio station.”

Bartolotta also spoke with Sabot, and told him it would be OK for the Easter service to take place.

While Mt. Hermon will continue with its service, another church is planning to do something similar Easter morning. Sabot said the supervisors approved Unite Church holding a drive-in service in the Washington Crown Center parking lot.

Unite Church typically congregates in Suite 458 of Washington Crown Center. Their service will take place at 10 a.m. Pastor Gary Saler did not return a phone call seeking comment.

According to Sabot, the initial reluctance to allow Ramey to hold another drive-in service was a result of the supervisors wanting to protect North Franklin residents from the spread of COVID-19, with particularly vulnerable communities like senior citizens.

Sabot also stressed that other than the church service, North Franklin’s pavilions and parks are otherwise closed while the township is under a state of emergency.

While the fate of the Easter service seemed uncertain, Ramey said he had found other locations Mt. Hermon could have potentially used, and likely would have gone ahead outside of North Franklin Township.

Bartolotta said she plans on attending Sunday’s service, and hopes there will be more to come. She warned they will not be able to continue if people do not adhere to social distancing guidelines.

“Everybody has to realize, look, stay in your car. Practice social distancing,” Bartolotta said. “The only way that we’re going to continue to do this is if we follow the guidelines.”