Bradenton church’s youth event drew hundreds. Photos spark COVID-19 worries

A youth event that drew nearly 650 students to Bayside Community Church’s East Bradenton Campus on Friday is raising COVID-19 concerns on social media.

Despite safety measures put in place for the gathering, many who attended did not adhere to Manatee County’s mask mandate or other universally recommended guidelines for preventing the spread of COVID-19. Church staff allowed students to decide whether to use masks or socially distance while inside.

In photos and video of the event posted online, teens can be seen crowded in front of a stage for live music, some of them maskless. Other shots show youth posing for photos in close proximity to one another and without face coverings.

The free event, which was advertised to include activities, prize giveaways and group worship, was open to middle and high school aged kids, including the church’s congregations in Manatee, Sarasota and Hardee counties.

With in-person classes resuming this week, many community members are concerned about the spread of COVID-19 and its potential impacts on students, teachers and their family members.

Some of them took to social media to share concerns about the Bayside event and its apparent lack of strictly enforced safety measures.

After a flood of negative comments, photos of the event posted to a Bayside Church Instagram account were removed.

Church says event followed COVID-19 rules

“Unfortunately, photos can’t always show all of the precautions that took place,” said Kristen Becnel, executive director of culture at Bayside. “We are sorry if the miscommunication of the photos caused concern.”

Becnel said that signs requiring masks were posted at entryways, masks and hand sanitizer were made available and that every student, volunteer and staff member was screened and had their temperature taken upon arrival. Manatee County Sheriff’s Office deputies were also on site “for the safety of the event.”

Registration was required to attend, Becnel said, and every parent was informed about safety measures that would be in place.

“We did want to create as safe an environment as possible,” Becnel said. “But not every student decided to keep their mask on the entire time.”

The emergency mask mandate currently in effect in Manatee County requires face coverings to be worn indoors when social distancing cannot be maintained, including in places of worship. Enforcement of the mandate was left in the hands of law enforcement.

Spots were limited to less than half of the 2,500-person capacity of the church building where the gathering was held, according to Becnel. But it was also left up to students whether or not to practice social distancing.

“It was another precaution that we took to make sure that physical distancing, should they choose to do it, was able to happen in the size building that we have,” Becnel said.

Photos of the event posted to Instagram and Facebook show that many chose not to. Maskless students crowded and danced as a worship band played, rode a mechanical shark and posed for group snapshots at a photo station.

Becnel said that while church staff have found new ways to engage with youth during the pandemic, including Zoom meetings and online events, the new formats can’t replace real life interaction.

“They need community, and isolation is really hard,” Becnel said. “We’re trying to create opportunities for students to connect whether it’s online or in person.”

But for some parents and teachers, events like the one that Bayside held on Friday are not worth the risk of potentially spreading COVID-19 in the community.

“I want nothing more than for kids to praise the Lord but as a teacher going back to school and sharing space with these kids, I find it very alarming,” wrote Nadia Sawa, choir director at Sarasota Middle School on Facebook.

“I’m just really appalled. We’re in the middle of a pandemic,” said Jessica Patterson, a Lakewood Ranch parent of three who alerted the Manatee County School Board and county commissioners after Bayside posted photos of the event.

“It’s sad to me that parents are sending their kids to this, and that the leaders of the church would host this event,” Patterson said. “We’re doing all we can to not spread the virus. If this kind of thing keeps happening, I don’t know when it’s going to end.”

In a statement provided via email, church leadership responded to some of the criticisms launched on social media with a defense of the event and the safety measures that were in place.

“It was our desire to provide hope for the youth in our area, many of which have battled depression, anxiety and fear surrounding COVID-19 and the impending return to school. We will continue to do our best to care for and support our community as well as navigate these unprecedented times.”

When asked about potential changes for future events, Becnel said that Bayside will continue to comply with government regulations.

Photos of Friday’s gathering prompted hundreds of upset comments on Facebook and Instagram in the days after the event. On Sunday, the photos had been removed from a Bayside Youth Instagram account, but copies of the images continued to circulate.

“I am spending my Sunday afternoon feeling depressed, angry, and anxious, knowing my mother has to walk into her school tomorrow and start in-person learning,” wrote Rachel Knowles on Facebook in a post that included the photos. “Knowing that she has no choice but to expose herself, and my at-risk father to COVID-19. Why was this event necessary?”

This story was originally published August 18, 2020 at 8:17 AM.