WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. — A church community in Winston- Salem is trying to keep a more the 248-year-old traditional alive.
The coronavirus pandemic has forced them to adjust their popular Easter Sunrise service.
One of the oldest Easter sunrise services in America typically takes place at Salem Square, and Rev. Chaz Snider said it brings thousands together.
“We’ll say a few words the congregation says words back,” Snider said. “Typically a 300 person brass band plays and different smaller bands throughout the city.”
Home Moravian Church and community members walk to God’s Acre, but this year that’s not the case.
“I had tears in my eyes and a lump in my throat thinking I’m not going to be playing and hearing the deep rich sound of all those band members," said Moravian Church band member, Nola Krouse. "Playing together to proclaim such incredible news."
Krouse has played in the band for 35 years, but she won’t this Easter Sunday.
All church services have stopped to follow governor Cooper's no mass gatherings order.
“We decided that we still needed to do something live,” Snider said. “Especially right now when people are in desperate need of hope.”
Band director Jeff Whitsett said the band of 300 is cut down to just eight.
“They’re very disappointed,” Whitsett said. “This is an important thing to a lot of people there’s about 70 people who have been participating for 50 years or, more some as long as 85 years.
They’ll perform in two different rooms at Home Moravian Church and Rev. Snider will lead the call to response.
“It’s weird. Its really strange we would travel here every Easter and get a hotel for the weekend,” Snider said.
The service will be live streamed on the Moravian Home Church website at 6 a.m.
"It's such a let down for them not to participate, but I’m 100% behind this social distancing. We want to keep people safe,” Whitsett said.
To make folks feel connected Rev. Snider encourages folks who stream the Sunday service to take pictures of their own sunrise and post it on social media and hash tag Moravian Sunrise.
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