Vintage Church of Raleigh held their first in-person worship service on Sunday morning since the coronavirus pandemic at the Dorothea Dix Park.
Tyler Jones, lead pastor of the church, said that between 600 to 700 people attended the service.
Other WRAL Top Stories
All guests were required to wear face masks during the service.
The church also had a wellness check-in table. A spokesperson with the church said they asked members of the congregation who did not feel well to stay home.
Ushers walked family groups down to the field to make sure that everyone remained socially distanced.
The church congregation did not take communion together.
“We are trying to be as safe as we possibly can,” Kate Spear, operations administration for Vintage Church, said.
The church has been holding virtual events for months to limit the spread of the coronavirus.
Photos showed that the pastor and worship leaders held service on a stage while the congregation attended service in the grass beneath them.
The church initially told WRAL News that they expected 150 people to attend the service in Dix park.
Spear said that the City of Raleigh was aware that more than 50 people were expected at Sunday's service. The governor's executive order that restricts the size of gatherings makes an exception for religious gatherings.
