Churches prepare for Easter Sunday services

MILWAUKEE (CBS 58) -- Jeffery Hardy, Sr., of Pest 2 Rest Pest Control LLC, spent Friday afternoon deep cleaning Zion Hill Missionary Baptist Church. It is the church his mom attends. 

"To be able to come in and help family and help the church is kind of special for me," he said. 

The last time people worshipped inside the church was March 2020, according to Pastor Russell Williamson. 

"Over a year we've been out," he said. 

People will be allowed to return Easter Sunday. 

"Because it was Easter Sunday and we term resurrection Sunday so we wanted to resurrect our service on Sunday morning," said Williamson, "I think this is a good time for us to do so."

He says precautions will be in place. 

"We’ll be taking temperatures at the door. Anything 99 and above, we’ll ask them please don’t come."

They'll also require masks and social distancing. 

At Mount Carmel Lutheran Church, Easter service will be livestreamed. Instead of gathering inside, they'll invite people to join them outside after the service. 

"People have been aching to be together and especially on Easter, the highlight of our church calendar, we needed to find a way to be face to face," said Pamela Lange, lead pastor at Mount Carmel Lutheran Church. 

She says they'll have a brass ensemble outside and trumpets. 

"We'll have an opportunity for our people to come here, be on the grounds and sing some of their favorite Easter hymns."

A way to celebrate Easter and reflect on the year that has been. 

"I think we have seen ourselves, how strong we can be," said Jim Greear, associate pastor at Mount Carmel Lutheran Church, "We developed strengths that I don’t think without this, we would not have known we had."