DALLAS, N.C. — The COVID-19 pandemic is forcing several churches to cancel in-person Christmas Eve services, including one of Gaston County's larger churches.
Venture Church in Dallas is canceling both its in-person Christmas Eve service and its Sunday service after its band and A/V crew were exposed to someone with COVID-19 during a rehearsal last Sunday.
"It's disappointing. We always look forward to Christmas Eve because it's such an awesome time," Pastor Austin Rammell of Venture Church said. "For most of us, you're probably going to be fine, but we just need to be thinking about what that's going to do with somebody else when we find that out."
Instead, the church will stream its service online, an option Gaston County's public health leaders are encouraging parishioners to do this holiday season.
Venture Church's announcement came a day after Gaston County released a real-life case study on its Facebook page detailing how four co-workers who tested positive for COVID-19 ultimately spread the virus to four other adults and four children.
According to the county, the four co-workers had close contact with each other before testing positive for the virus.
One employee's spouse and three children tested positive while an unrelated child had close contact with another employee resulting in the child spreading the virus to their parents and a grandparent.
"We felt like this was a really important thing to put out there and try to help people wrap their minds around," Adam Gaub, Gaston county spokesman, said.
Public health leaders blame the Thanksgiving holiday for leading to a spike in the percentage of people testing positive for the virus.
The county ultimately recorded some of its highest percentage levels since the start of the pandemic.
According to the county's dashboard, 102 people are currently in the hospital because of COVID-19.
Gaub said public health leaders are urging people to stay home for the holidays, not gather in large groups and refrain from attending religious services in-person.
"It's tough. I'm a person of faith. I'm used to going to Christmas eve service," Gaub said. "I can't remember the last time I didn't attend a Christmas Eve service in-person, but I won't be this year because there's too great of a risk."