LOCAL

Topeka church offers up space for COVID-19 testing

Todd Fertig
Special to The Capital-Journal
New Mount Zion Baptist Church has offered its Fellowship Hall as a COVID-19 testing site.

New Mount Zion Baptist Church makes meeting the needs of Topeka part of its mission. So when the health of Topekans was jeopardized by COVID-19, it seemed natural for the church to seek out ways to serve.

About five weeks ago, the Rev. Delmar White and his congregation made the church’s Fellowship Hall available for testing for the coronavirus as a way to serve the residents of East Topeka.

“I think churches, especially now with COVID-19, are really seeing the value of community partnerships,” White said. “When I look at the scriptural text, I see Christ out among people. I see him doing his best work out among people. While caring for the congregants, we also have a responsibility to be community servants.”

On Tuesday and Thursday mornings, volunteer nurses supplied by the Shawnee County Health Department perform virus tests under an awning outside the church at 2801 S.E. Indiana Ave. People who have been approved for testing by the health department drive under the awning to have their noses swabbed. Within just a few seconds they drive away, expecting to receive the results of the test in about three to five days.

The East Topeka testing site was at Highland Park High School for several months at the start of the pandemic. The site was shifted to New Mount Zion Baptist Church because of the space for storage in the cool, sanitized Fellowship Hall, as well as the shade from the sun the site featured. Since June 23, more than 300 tests have been performed at the church.

“When the summer hit, we were looking for a place that offered more shade, and that gave structural support so that our nurses weren’t just outside the entire time,” said Craig Barnes, public information officer for the health department. “Our partnership with Pastor White and New Mount Zion has been a shining example of how cross-sector community collaboration can positively address our community’s needs. In this case, increasing testing availability in an area of Topeka disproportionately impacted by COVID-19.”

White’s congregation is one disproportionately affected by COVID-19. Like many churches with a predominantly Black congregation, New Mount Zion Baptist Church has suspended gatherings because of its members’ high susceptibility to contract the virus.

Before the pandemic, New Mount Zion Baptist Church had a regular attendance of about 275 people. In March, the church shifted to an all-virtual format.

After an extended period of meeting solely by video, the church began a “Park and Praise” service, which allows congregants to listen to an FM broadcast of its service in their cars. White said attendance for the parking lot services has been about 80 people.

White said at this point he doesn’t anticipate meeting indoors for several months. He said the congregants have been patient and understanding of the decision to emphasize caution.

But that hasn’t stopped the church from making an impact.

White credits outreach ministry coordinator Lisa Davis for coming up with many of the ideas to serve the community. He said she was instrumental in making the COVID-19 testing at the church a reality. When the pandemic hit, New Mount Zion Baptist Church was used as a meeting place for planning food service to students.

Before COVID-19, the church sponsored such outreaches as free haircuts and school supplies for students in the fall, blood drives, dental screenings and breast cancer awareness events.

“Lisa Davis is just phenomenal. The things she comes up with to serve the community and get involved in the community are really exciting,” White said. “Our view is that we’re better together and we’re not an isolated group. We really need to be connected in the community.”

White said he is excited for the way members of the church have partnered with the test providers in this time of need. He said his appreciation for health care workers has increased after watching them in action.

“They are our unspoken heroes,” White said. “They do it selflessly. They are running into the fire. But their whole passion is the health and well-being of those that they serve, to make sure people are safe and that they can recover from COVID-19. I take my hat off to them.”

Any individual who exhibits two or more of the symptoms associated with COVID-19 can call the Shawnee County Health Department at 785-251-4949 to schedule an appointment.