Two Cape churches suspend in-person worship due to COVID

Cape Girardeau's Apostolic Promise Church has not held a worship service since July 1 due to an outbreak of COVID-19.

Phone calls to the church at 750 N. Mount Auburn Road, are being forwarded to the home of the congregation's associate pastor, David Whitmore.

Whitmore said Friday afternoon a group went out to eat at Buffalo Wild Wings on Siemers Drive, where church members believed they encountered someone with coronavirus.

He said he could not say how many church members had been sickened by the coronavirus, and the Cape Girardeau County Public Health Center (CGCPHC) does not name individual nor specific group cases, citing the privacy stipulations of HIPAA (Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act).

Whitmore, who has tested positive for COVID-19, said he is under quarantine until at least July 18.

"After church, a lot of us go out to eat (together)," said Whitmore, who confirmed Apostolic Promise senior pastor Timothy Lee and his wife, Kathy, are also ill and currently housebound.

Calls to Rev. Lee were not returned by press time.

A message on the church's answering machine informs callers the church office will be closed for two weeks beginning July 6, and Whitmore said the church will not hold in-person worship Sunday nor on July 19.

Second church

Two people have tested positive at Bethel Assembly of God, 1855 Perryville Road in Cape Girardeau.

Pastor Phil Roop and his wife, Denise, came into direct contact with one of them recently, so the couple is in self-quarantine until Thursday.

No in-person worship will be held Sunday nor on Wednesday.

In a letter to his parish, Roop, lead pastor since 2005, told the congregation services on those dates will be conducted virtually.

"We want everybody to be safe," said Roop, "with particular concern for our elderly members."

Roop said he has no symptoms and has taken the antibody test, revealing whether he has had COVID in the past, twice.

"I just took (the test) for the second time on Monday," he said, "and I'll find out next week the results, but my wife and I feel fine."