When houses of worship across the state closed their buildings in mid-March as part of the effort to stop the spread of coronavirus, something unexpected happened.
“The building is closed, but the church is open,” said the Rev. Charlie Berthoud, pastor at Covenant Presbyterian Church on Madison’s West Side.
As religious leaders scrambled to create ways of worshiping safely, many found that more people are exploring their faith and actively participating online than were doing so in person. And some groups say they’ll maintain their heightened digital presence even after opening for in-person worship services.