Oklahoma megachurch hosts drive-in services in response to COVID-19 outbreak
Paul Daugherty, the lead pastor of the 13,000-member Victory Church in Tulsa, Oklahoma joins ‘Fox and Friends.’
Get all the latest news on coronavirus and more delivered daily to your inbox. Sign up here.
A megachurch in Oklahoma figured out a creative way to give thousands of people groceries and an in-person way to worship, amid strict bans on gathering to stop the spread of coronavirus.
Paul Daugherty, the lead pastor of the 13,000-member Victory Church in Tulsa, Okla., has preached to thousands before, but when he spoke to a thousand cars and heard horns honking in response, he was moved to tears.
FAITH LEADERS SHARE MESSAGE OF HOPE AMID CORONAVIRUS OUTBREAK, UNCERTAIN TIMES
"Man, I lost it," Daugherty told "Fox & Friends" Thursday. "I was up on that scissor lift, and I said, 'Listen, if you need hope tonight, give me a honk,' and, man, the honks started going off in that parking lot - hundreds of honking cars."
Paul Daugherty, the lead pastor of Victory Church in Tulsa, preaches during a drive-in service amid the coronavirus outbreak. (John Daugherty)
Forced to close their doors, Daugherty and his staff came up with the idea to rent a drive-in for a service, but then decided to host one at their church. Coregants drove into the church parking lot but stayed in their cars, still following Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines.
FLORIDA PASTOR'S LEGAL TEAM RESPONDS TO 'ENTIRELY INAPPROPRIATE' ARREST
The church's outreach arm, the Tulsa Dream Center, partnered with food banks in the city, and handed out groceries to anyone who needed them. So far, they've given more than 10,000 people groceries, toilet paper and other essentials after the drive-in services.
A young girl pops her head through the sunroof while attending a drive-in service at Victory Church in Tulsa, Oklahoma. (John Daugherty)
"We told everyone, you're going to get help and you're going to get hope," he said.
TEXAS PRIEST RECOVERS FROM COVID-19, LEADS SERVICE ONLINE
For Victory's first Saturday night service, roughly 1,000 cars showed up. The 34-year-old pastor was on a scissor lift 30 feet in the air in the middle of the parking lot and a band set up on the roof of the church.
Paul Daugherty, the lead pastor of Victory Church in Tulsa, preaches during a drive-in service amid the coronavirus outbreak. (John Daugherty)
"It was crazy," Daugherty recalls. "It was strange because I can't hear their voices but when I said something and I heard horns honking, I started crying because it just reminded me that people are just desperate to hear the hope of the gospel."
The sermon and worship were played on a local FM radio station for 15,000 people in their cars and livestreamed online for over 120,000 at home.
Victory Church in Tulsa is lit up for a drive-in nighttime service amid the coronavirus. (John Daugherty)
Since the drive-in service inception, the church has launched a meal delivery program for doctors and nurses' families in the city.
"A lot of the people, when they were coming to receive the groceries, they were in tears, getting laid off from work and saying, 'Thank you for not limiting who you give to,'" he said. "I had one ... they were also tearing up, receiving them for their neighbors, one who was laid off and another elderly neighbor. It was just kind of cool to hear these stories as they're coming. It's catching. They're paying it forward."
Victory Church in Tulsa, Oklahoma is hosting drive-in services multiple times throughout the week. (John Daugherty)
Daugherty said he is not trying to rebel against authority like some other churches. Prior to starting the services, he called the city's mayor, chief of police, and Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt, who all thanked him and gave him permission to hold services, which the church plans to continue Wednesday night.
CLICK HERE FOR MORE STORIES ON FAITH
"Preaching to a parking lot or inside a building, even though it's totally different, it's about that person in the car getting love and encouragement."
Other congregations across the states have done similar services, as well as drive-thru confessions.
True Crime
The hottest stories ripped from the headlines, from crime to courts, legal and scandal.
By entering your email and clicking the Subscribe button, you agree to the Fox News Privacy Policy and Terms of Use, and agree to receive content and promotional communications from Fox News. You understand that you can opt-out at any time.
