Mal Gormley
Second Congregational Church pastor Char Corbett on Zoom. Courtesy photo
Like many active churches in the Twin Villages, Second Congregational Church, UCC on Main Street in Newcastle has been hard hit by the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. Since March 2020, Second Congo has been closed to the public out of caution for safety and spread.
The downsides to closing the building are obvious and painful: The missed opportunities to meet and worship in person, share fellowship and provide regular community services have been felt deeply. Normally, Second Congo is humming with activity all week long.
But since March, the only “open to the public” activity has been the weekly Ecumenical Food Pantry (EFP) when clients can have curbside delivery to their cars, provided by a small cadre of personal protective equipment (PPE)-compliant volunteers. The spacious Fellowship Hall, once home to a myriad of community meetings and after-worship Coffee Hour, now resembles the wareh