Employee of a Bradenton church got COVID-19. Pastor says large summer camp unaffected
After one of its employees tested positive for COVID-19, Christian Retreat in Bradenton has reconsidered future events. The revelation came one week after its summer camp, where children and adults huddled together, embracing each other during an evening service.
Home of the Family Church and a year-round resort, the campus hosted more than 100 guests during its annual Kids-A-Flame summer camp from June 15 to 19. The man learned of his test results about one week later, and Pastor Phil Derstine said the employee was “not particularly connected to the summer camp.”
“His job is overnight and mostly outdoors,” Derstine said. “He could have come in contact with kids, no question about that, but generally speaking, he doesn’t come in contact with much of anybody except me.”
In a recent video on the church and its COVID-19 precautions, Derstine assured viewers that Christian Retreat was constantly cleaning and practicing social distancing. Though on Monday afternoon, he said it was “a little bit hard for children.”
“We’re blessed here in Florida because our governor has said the church is an essential service,” Derstine said in the video. “He never wanted the church to close. And also, just recently, he said the summer camps can go on as usual.”
“In our overnight camps, we’re going to do everything that we can to keep our young people safe,” the pastor continued.
At the weeklong Kids-A-Flame summer camp, about 100 children were huddled in a group, singing and dancing to a musical performance, according to a June 17 video of the camp.
The video shows adults giving the children high-fives and side-hugs, while others placed their hands atop the kids’ heads during a prayer session. Neither the campers nor the adults wore masks in the video.
“Open your mouth,” a man said, leading the children in prayer. “Open your mouth and praise Him. Say His name.”
In an interview on Monday afternoon, Derstine said the crowd “looks closer on television than in real life,” and that “people get caught up and forget in the moment.”
“We instructed everybody — all of our leaders — not to do that, but I saw some of that as well. A lot less, maybe, than we usually see. At the same time, I have to say, these summer camps are just so important for the kids, for the churches, for the parents.”
However, he said, the church canceled its vacation Bible school next week. Its youth camp, originally scheduled for the end of July, is currently in limbo, Derstine continued, citing the recent spike in local COVID-19 cases.
The Florida Department of Health reported 73 new cases of COVID-19 in Manatee County on Monday morning. The number of local cases surpassed 2,800, while the death count remained at 130.
“For so long, I didn’t know anybody that tested positive, and I know thousands of people,” the pastor said.
Derstine reiterated that Christian Retreat’s employee “had no assignment in the children’s camp.” He said the man was safely quarantined on the church campus, where he and about 200 other people live.
Along with the church, Christian Retreat is home to condominiums, mobile homes and a conference center.
“The first thing I did is ask him to make a list of everybody he might have come in contact with over the past week,” Derstine said. “He gave me a list of 13 people, and I was on it. The first thing we did is contact all those people.”
Family Church at Christian Retreat holds two services each week, and though it offers a live broadcast, some residents prefer to worship in person.
Derstine said he encouraged people to stay home when possible, and for those who attend in-person services, the church enforces social distancing and regular cleaning in its facility. He said the church also purchased masks and no-touch thermometers.
“I have appreciated that Gov. Ron DeSantis saw the value of the church, but I certainly don’t want the church to be part of the problem,” Derstine said. “I want us to be part of the solution.”
This story was originally published June 29, 2020 at 3:57 PM.