In late 2019, talk began around the world of the coronavirus disease, eventually called COVID-19. By January 2020, the first cases appeared in the United States. On March 16, 2020, everything changed in the life of the church as we knew it. Services within the church walls came to a halt. Services quickly changed to being taped and shown on Sunday morning on YouTube. After a few weeks and many long hours put in by members of the congregation, worship services were held in the parking lot, with members listening to an FM station in their vehicles, along with the services being live-streamed on YouTube. Although we were thankful to be able to worship together with our church family, it still was not the same.
Social distancing became the new normal. Partaking in the Lord's gift of the Lord's Supper was also put on hold. After a few months, the necessity was there to receive the Lord's Supper, so we began to offer the Lord's Supper in a mass gathering. Even when we cannot receive the Lord's Supper, we are still given God's forgiveness given and shed for us through Christ, we are still given His words of forgiveness through Holy Absolution and the promises proclaimed in the gospel. Services within the church walls were halted until June 21, 2020, when in person worship began again, along with it still being held in the parking lot until November 1.
From 1997 to 2017, St. Paul's was served by a sole pastor for 20 years, left St. Paul's. The next three years led to much healing. After that we had a vacancy until October 11, 2020, our current pastor Rev. Daryn Bahn was installed. Leading up to his arrival, the parsonage went through updates and renovation during the summer of 2020. The work was completed by many generous volunteers from the congregation. As the coronavirus began to dwindle in the United States, life in the church began to go back to normal. Groups began to meet again, and on April 25, 2021, in-person Sunday School and Adult Bible Class began again. Coronavirus changed the landscape of ministry. There are sure to be challenges in the future, but life in the church is here to stay.