COVID - 19 Stories from the Church - Ken Korver, Lead Pastor

The vast majority of people in the United States have been ordered to stay at home as the novel Coronavirus threatens to cripple our healthcare system and take thousands of lives. Throughout this crisis TogetherLA will be bringing you stories of how God is moving in the midst of so much uncertainty.

Ken Korver, Lead Pastor
Emmanuel Reformed Church in Paramount, CA

Ken Korver, Lead Pastor of Emmanuel Reformed Church in Paramount, California took a few minutes to update us on how church has changed for them due to COVID-19. Emmanuel Reformed Church typically sees about 1,600 people across their English, Spanish and Nepalese Sunday services. However, since stay-at-home orders took effect, they have seen upwards of 2,700 households tune in for weekend worship services. 

TogetherLA: Ken, how is Emmanuel approaching church differently in this season?

Ken Korver: We have more people in community and worshiping with us than we did two months ago, through online and Zoom. Because people don’t have anywhere to go, more people are making it to bible study than ever. I also think a number of our people feel more confident in evangelism and outreach. It is now very simple to ask a friend to watch church just by pushing a button. And I’m even watching people interact about the sermon via social media in the middle of the sermon. 

TogetherLA: Tell us about some of the stresses your church is facing.

Ken Korver: We are seeing the most basic concerns for things like food. Normally we would feed 60 families every Friday [via the church’s food pantry]. Our number of 60 has increased to 180 families, which is more than 700 people each week, so there is a need for more food.

Our church also has a deacon fund which is intended to help those in need. We are trying to help people but our budget has been cut by more than a third. We are trying to be caring while in the worst spot you can imagine with our general operating fund.

In some ways I am seeing this is the best of times and the worst of times. I spoke with one elder last night who has never felt more significant in the life of the body of Christ, because he is able to call so many people and check in on them and pray with them.

 I am seeing that people are more serious about their faith. Others are newly inquisitive about the faith. People are rising up to be leaders that I never thought would be leaders.

TogetherLA: What does your church need most right now?

Ken Korver: We need those who are believers to recognize this is the most unique opportunity they’ll have in their lifetime. I am seeing an incredible time right now for the church to be the church and for everyone to rise up and actually follow Christ. You are either being an aroma of Christ in a beautiful way, or you are missing your moment.

 This is a time to refresh your brothers and sisters in Christ and then go be the presence of Christ in your world. People are more open than they have ever been before.

TogetherLA: People are more open to the Gospel than ever before. How are you seeing your church be the hands and feet of Jesus in the midst of social isolation?

Ken Korver: I don’t have one story. I have one hundred. I have children who write ‘Jesus loves you,’ in English and Spanish all over the sidewalks. I have people looking out for their neighbors and being the spiritual base in their lives. I have people evangelizing and leading others to Christ. I have hundreds of stories from our church. On social media I see people being evangelistic to their friends like they never have before. 

In Deuteronomy 6, it talks about loving the Lord your God with all of your heart and soul and strength. It talks about impressing these commandments on your children and right now I am watching a number of people take seriously that they are the spiritual fathers and mothers. People are posting pictures sitting with their kids watching Sunday’s sermon, discussing it and asking their kids what they are going to do about it. Even kids realize this is an important time. They are all leaning in with anticipation, talking about what they are hearing and really applying it.

TogetherLA:  What should the Church prepare for in the future, in the wake of COVID-19?

Ken Korver: I believe that this should be a catalytic moment. In the future we should hear stories from across the world saying our church is not the same. How? I think we’ll hear that churches have more people reading scriptures, doing family devotions, being evangelists that weren’t evangelists before, people being disciplers that weren’t before.

I’ve been asking myself, if we now have twice the amount of people worshiping online, what are we to do in the future? There is clearly something strong about people gathering together. But I think we will probably move towards creating an online Sunday night service for those that can’t come during the day. 

We have weekly mens, womens and couples bible studies. We need to consider if we begin meeting twice a month online via Zoom and gather twice a month in person. We are seeing right now that some groups have been made stronger through Zoom and some have been made weaker. So I definitely think that in some cases we will be in a ‘higher Zoom world.’ 

I also think that after the COVID-19 crisis, people will become much more aware of laity. The idea of a large paid staff is not sustainable and we need to become more reliant on Laity.

TogetherLA: How have you addressed the needs of those who struggle with addiction and mental illness?

Ken Korver: Max Lucado has a book on anxiety and we had previously done a class based on his book that was well received. Our team has decided to host that class again, online, to address that concern in this season.

We also strongly encourage Celebrate Recovery. They used to have a policy against Zoom-type meetings due to confidentiality, but that is changing now.

And in addition to that, we used to have about 30 people doing care ministry. But we have bumped that up to about 80 people. Those people are calling attendees just to check in with them. It used to be that people were hesitant to call others because it might come across as weird. But now, no one thinks they are weird. Everyone really appreciates someone checking up on them.

 TogetherLA: What advice or encouragement would you give to the Church right now?

 Ken Korver: I think people are learning a lot from each other right now. Every church needs to recognize they are influencing both their church and people they never thought they would reach through their church. But other churches are also watching to figure out what is working. People are blessed when they watch Christians not be egocentric and right now we are learning from each other at a higher level than I’ve ever seen in my lifetime.