Easter was a no go. But Tacoma will finally get its community drive-in church gathering

Four weeks ago, some Tacoma area churches planned a drive-in service to celebrate Easter morning together, a ray of resurrection hope amid Washington’s coronavirus outbreak. The event, which was controversial in the early weeks of a statewide stay-home order, ultimately didn’t happen.

Now a local community drive-in faith gathering is back on track, though Easter is in the rear-view mirror. It’s set for Monday (May 11) at 6 pm in the parking lot of Tacoma’s Cheney Stadium. The hour-long event will feature live music, prayers and words of inspiration from local faith leaders. People in their cars can hear it all via short-range radio frequency.

The difference this time is that Gov. Jay Inslee has given his blessing to drive-in religious services, under strict social-distancing precautions. It’s part of Phase 1 of his plan to gradually reopen the state over the next few months.

Another difference is that Monday’s gathering is an interfaith partnership of several Christian churches, Tacoma’s Jewish temple and other local groups. There are echoes of previous times when Pierce County residents have bridged sectarian boundaries to remember fallen police officers and mark other tragedies, including the 9/11 terror attacks.

One more factor gives this event more credibility and momentum compared to the canceled Easter effort: the direct involvement of Tacoma Mayor Victoria Woodards, who will share a few words Monday.

“This is an opportunity to pray for the city because there are a lot of hurting people in Tacoma right now — in the city, county, state and the world,” Woodards told me Friday. “And I believe in the power of prayer.”

The timing is good, coming on the heels of Thursday’s National Day of Prayer. Woodards recalls attending past Day of Prayer observances at Cheney Stadium, which is why she immediately thought of the ballpark parking lot as a site for a drive-in religious gathering.

It also fills a void left by the cancellation of this year’s Pierce County Prayer Breakfast due to the COVID-19 shutdown. The breakfast, which features nationally known Christian speakers and typically draws more than 1,000 people of faith to the Tacoma Dome Exhibition Hall, normally happens the first Friday of May.

In coming weeks, the drive-in experience may catch fire with individual churches across Washington. Members are hungry for spiritual and social connections beyond a computer screen — even if it’s just through a rolled-up car window.

Inslee issued guidelines last week that won’t sit well with some churchgoers who feel their religious liberties are being infringed. But follow the rules they must, or his permission may be rescinded.

• All persons attending must drive up in an enclosed vehicle and remain inside the vehicle during the entire service. Individuals should not get out for any reason.
• Vehicle windows, sunroofs and convertible tops must remain closed during the entire service, unless the vehicle is parked more than 6 feet from any other vehicle.
• No more than 10 people may be in a single vehicle.
• Each vehicle may be occupied only by members of the same household who have already been in close contact with each other and are not sick.

• No food or beverages or other materials — including communion wafers or bread and wine or juices — may be distributed or collected before, after, or as part of the service.

While Washington has made gains flattening the coronavirus curve, the governor remains uneasy about group settings where infections can spread.

Last month, I wrote how plans for an Easter drive-in service were taking shape on sovereign tribal land; I said celebrating the most important Christian holiday of the year deserved special consideration, despite Inslee’s well-founded public-health concerns.

His influence certainly weighed heavy in the end, as participating churches and the Puyallup Tribe called it off.

This time, the base of participation is broader, confirmed COVID-19 infections and deaths in Pierce County appear to be past their peak (at least the first wave), and conditions for a drive-in gathering are more favorable, in no small part because Tacoma’s mayor is involved.

While she identifies as a Christian, Woodards said that’s secondary to the greater purpose of Monday’s event.

“Nobody owns it,” Woodards said. “It is just people coming together.”

Reach News Tribune editorial page editor Matt Misterek at (253) 597-8472 or matt.misterek@thenewstribune.com

This story was originally published May 9, 2020 at 1:50 PM.