Pastor Jean Masiko and Associate Pastor Jaime Gonzalez of The Healing Place at Living Stone Fellowship were determined not to let the social distancing requirements of the COVID-19 pandemic put a damper on the church’s Palm Sunday and Easter worship services.

Masiko remembered that Pastor Robert Schuller created the first drive-in church in Southern California in the 1950s and how successful that was.

“I knew that having a drive-in church would not violate the Stay-at-Home Order put forth by Gov. Tom Wolf on March 23 because I had read the entire 12 pages of the state guidelines,” Masiko emailed The Press.

Masiko contacted the office of state Sen. Pat Browne, R-16th, to be sure a drive-in church was acceptable to the Pennsylvania State Department of Health.

“On Friday, March 27, we received the go ahead from the state through a letter from Sen. Browne’s office,” Masiko wrote. “Then on Monday, God opened an amazing door.

“Through our friends and fellow Rotarians, Gwenn and Gary Englehardt and Club President Amir Famili, Living Stone Fellowship was given a full sound system to borrow for the next eight weeks from the Allentown West Rotary Club to broadcast our services into the parking lot.”

The hourlong, drive-in Palm Sunday service was a test run for the Easter service with Holy Communion planned for 11 a.m. April 12.

Masiko asks everyone to arrive in the parking lot by 10:50 a.m. so the service can begin promptly at 11 a.m. She also noted the restrooms inside the church will not be available for use.

“The Living Stone Fellowship family and the community is being invited to attend through emails, Facebook and our newly revised website thehealingplacelv.org,” Masiko wrote. “This is a God ordained miracle and He already knows those who will be coming to Him because of these services.”