Hawaii churches will offer a hybrid of in-person and online Easter services

Worshippers will be welcome to congregate in person for modified Easter Sunday services, so long as they observe COVID-19 rules, spokespeople for several Hawaii churches said Wednesday.

Last Easter, when island churches were closed to in-person worship under a statewide stay-at-home order, they held live-streamed and recorded online services, which also will be on offer Sunday, officials added.

“A lot of people are still leery of in-person services, and we have a lot of elderly people in our congregation, so we have to be careful,” said Brian Welsh, kahu at the Big Island’s Haili Congregational Church of Hilo, which will be holding fewer live services and more streaming online; its popular Easter sunrise service “outdoors overlooking the sea cliffs, is unfortunately no can do with social distancing,” the kahu added.

Both indoors and out, their churches have been following federal, state and respective county guidelines, Welsh and others said, including Hawaii’s statewide mask mandate and the universal recommendation that at least 6 feet of social distance be kept. All noted that the capacity of the space with social distancing is what limits numbers of participants.

“People have to wear masks and sanitize before they get in, and the pews are marked off already, so it’s kind of alternate-pew seating unless you’re in the same household,” said Dominique “Cami” Baldovino, an office worker at All Saints Episcopal Church in Kapaa, Kauai.

“We do anticipate a larger crowd, and have the ability to open up lanai doors on either side of church and set up chairs so people can listen and watch the service on screens,” she added, “plus we’re adding a 30-foot tent.”

Hawaii Catholic churches are also expecting bigger crowds for Easter, said Deacon Modesto Cordero, and are offering additional services and outside seating, with mandatory masking and social distancing indoors and out, while also live-streaming their services.

“Our sanctuary can hold 150 people with social distancing in place, and we’re prepared to set up chairs in grassy areas on both sides if we have overflow,” said Gavin Moffat, marketing and communications coordinator at Honolulu’s Central Union Church. He said Central Union will also hold a family drive-in event at its main Beretania Street location, in which attendees can listen to the service over their car radios at 88.5 FM while driving to seven sacred stations on the parking lot and great lawn.

For its in-person Easter service, Honolulu’s Independent Baptist Church will feature an artist doing a live painting while the pastor delivers the sermon.

“We will honor those who want to wear masks and have social distancing,” said pastor Kam Ching, adding the church follows state and city rules and keeps extra masks to hand out.

The church will also allow some in-person singing, although current Honolulu rules require at least 10 feet of distance between singers and players of wind instruments, each separated by a physical barrier such as clear plastic panels.

In Hilo, Haili Congregational will have some, but not much, singing, and people will have to keep their masks on, Welsh said.

Central Union’s only live music will come from a piano and possibly a harp.

All Saints in Kapaa will also have no live singing; instead, its choir director has orchestrated a virtual choir, combining video recordings of individuals singing to his piano accompaniment in their homes. Children will also read and perform the Easter story via video conference.

Instead of the traditional sharing of the wine cup for the Eucharist, All Saints will provide tiny individual communion cups, Baldovino added; but the Catholic diocese will continue to forgo wine this Easter, Cordero said.

Children and adults are excitedly looking forward to a socially distanced, outdoors Easter egg hunt on the spacious All Saints lawn, Baldovino said.