Gospel singer calls these last months ‘harrowing’ after facing covid-19 and burying loved ones at the same time

Donnie McClurkin, gospel singer and pastor of Perfecting Faith Church in Freeport, New York, affirmed that the last 2.5 months have been “harrowing” for him.

McClurkin shared the difficult experience he has been facing due to the covid-19 pandemic because he has been comforting people who lost loved ones due to the virus while recovering from his own infection.

The pastor explained that he contracted the virus by the end of March; however, by the time the medical officials tested him, he had no symptoms at all.

“By the time I got to test all my symptoms were gone. I’ve gone through two weeks of all of the fever, the loss of taste, smell, the aches, the fatigue, and then still had to do the digital shows that we had to do each week, deal with the members that were dying, deal with the members’ family that were dying and bishop friends of mine that were dying. It hit really hard,” he explained.

The pastor and singer also said that he had to make an extra effort to keep going due to the economic situation. His church gives away food to hundreds of people that seek help.

“Food lines every Wednesday, we have food distribution every Wednesday. Our line stretches around the church with about 350 people every Wednesday,” McClurkin said.

Virtual worship

McClurkin explained that although he is willing to do in-person gatherings, he is waiting until it’s safe. He affirms that during this time, he is doing virtual services and that is going well.

“A lot of people are going frantic over the doors being closed because we are such churchaholics in so many ways. I believe that we are supposed to gather together. I believe that we shouldn’t forsake it but God allowed something to happen … that caused our churches across the board to be compromised and the doors to close in many churches and then it led us to this device,” he said.

“We started doing our digital services, a lot of pastors were afraid that it would affect their congregation, their income, the zeal of the people. It had no [negative] effect” for his church, McClurkin said.

Source: The Christian Post