For the last month or so, Bishop Stacey Roberts has delivered a no-frills Sunday service via social media. That means no music or other ministries on display.
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“We cannot come together as a church, but I'm glad for the opportunity to at least connect with the people,” Roberts said.
But Easter Sunday is not your typical Sunday — it's one of the most important days on the Christian calendar, and a time many people pack into the pews.
Roberts, the pastor of Greater Community Bible Tabernacle in West Philadelphia, said in his 24 years preaching, he's never delivered an Easter service to an empty church. But he's thankful he could still get the word out.
“What I wanted to do was to encourage them to know that even through difficult processes, God always has our best in mind,” he said.
Bernadette Butler said even though she had to watch Roberts’ Easter service online, she did not let that stop her from dressing up in her Sunday's best.
“I intentionally got up, and put on something other than sweats and a T-shirt. I made sure I was still looking nice,” she said.
Bonnie Bing, on the other hand, said she wore her pajamas to her online service.
“I was dressed casual,” she said.
Bing said she made the best of the situation, but there were some things she really missed about having a regular church service.
“Wanting to fellowship with fellow congregants, it felt a little bit different, but I still felt close in my spirit to know they were all there with me even though I wasn't sitting directly next to them,” Bing said.
Butler said even though she misses in-person fellowship at church, the online format does have some perks.
“I appreciated the opportunity to go back and replay some of the moments or points of the sermon I may have missed,” she said.
Roberts said he hopes having an online Easter service is a reminder to his congregants to keep the faith.
“The Christ that we serve is not restricted by walls or borders, so he is with us wherever we go,” he said.
Butler and Roberts said there might be a lot of changes to the traditional Easter Sunday format, but one thing that's remaining the same: a big Sunday dinner.