Location: Wilkinsburg, Pa.

Presbytery: Alleghenies

Organization: 1973

Membership: 117 communicant; 32 baptized

Pastor: Pete Smith

Website: covenantfellowship.org

As I look back on the last 18 months at Covenant Fellowship (Pittsburgh, Pa.) RPC, what stands out is not the disruptions and difficulties of COVID-19 so much as God’s provision throughout the pandemic.

Similar to many churches, the pandemic lockdowns effected sudden and dramatic changes. Worship attendance dropped precipitously from an average of 67 to 10: Pastor Pete, the tech team, and their households. We started livestreaming our service, while fellowship lunch, Sunday school, Bible studies, and our children’s outreach program were abruptly curtailed. Familiar practices like passing the offering plate and sharing a microphone for prayer requests were replaced by new policies of masking and social distancing. And yet, God’s provision in the midst of disruption was apparent almost immediately.

For example, in God’s good timing, tech-savvy Josh Giesler and his family started attending barely a month before the lockdown. Not only was Josh up to the sudden challenge of livestreaming the service, he came with his own camera, microphone, and computer. As it became evident we would be livestreaming for the foreseeable future, the church purchased the necessary equipment with significant input from Josh. Although our average worship attendance is now more than our pre-pandemic average, we continue to livestream the service.

Sometimes provision looks like repurposing. Prior to the pandemic, Pastor Pete had encouraged us to think and pray about how we could bless others with our resources, including our church building. (Our building is quite large: three stories, a sanctuary that can fit 300, a large fellowship hall and kitchen in the basement, and a sub-basement with an archery range!) While nearly all of our regular activities were either on pause or taking place over Zoom, God brought others to use the building. Another church, Eternal City, was already renting the fellowship hall for their Sunday afternoon service. With the lockdown, their pastor asked to rent a room as a semi-permanent office. Eternal City also repurposed a room for a food ministry.

Another organization, called Opening Doors for Youth & Families, ran a program out of our basement for elementary students whose parents were unable to supervise their online schooling from home. Now, although the school program is over, Opening Doors continues to use office space on our second floor.

God also answered prayers for other, non-pandemic-related needs. For the past few years, our session consisted of three elders, including Pastor Pete. Our deacon board had more members, but with an active mercy ministry, building upkeep, and more, they too felt the need for more hands. At the 2020 congregational meeting in February, the congregation moved to hold a meeting for the election of officers. Then the pandemic hit. In September, we finally held elections for elders and deacons. A snowstorm in December delayed their installation to January. Thus, it was a long process, but God answered our prayers by giving us two new elders and three new deacons.

Despite the pandemic, God gave growth. Quite literally. In 2017, some members of Covenant Fellowship spearheaded an effort to start an orchard and pollinator garden in the vacant lot next to the church building. Now, the orchard is bearing fruit. Recently, it was a stop on the Wilkinsburg Garden Tour, and Covenant Fellowship members had the opportunity to talk with tour-goers about the orchard and the church.

God also gave congregational growth. 2020 was a baby boom year, with six new babies. A few new families moved to Pittsburgh, joined the church, and quickly got involved. Our children’s program, KidZone, restarted after taking a break during last school year, with more volunteers, higher attendance, and greater energy. One new family brought experience as a Safe Families host family. Safe Families is a nonprofit organization that seeks to connect families in crisis with churches that will provide support. We now have several Safe Families households able to host children in need.

In August, we held our 15th annual Community Clean-Up Day and were delighted by the strong community participation. Our social committee, after the long, pandemic-induced break, is back in action with more members. After months of Zoom “fellowship halls” and prayer meetings, gathering together in person is indeed a good and pleasant thing. God has sustained us remarkably through the last 18 months, and we are thankful.