Greg Laurie's Harvest Christian Fellowship in Riverside hosts COVID-19 testing
Harvest Christian Fellowship Church in California, led by Pastor Greg Laurie, is now hosting COVID-19 testing at its Riverside campus to “be as helpful as we can during this difficult season.”
Health officials announced that in partnership with Riverside University Health System, Harvest Christian Fellowship Church will be offering drive-through COVID-19 testing as of Wednesday, April 1.
In order to receive a COVID-19 test, residents must show symptoms, such as fever or a sore throat, and call (800) 945-6171 to schedule an appointment. The Harvest Fellowship drive-through, located at 6115 Arlington Avenue in Riverside, marks the third COVID-19 testing location in Riverside county.
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“Riverside County continues to offer more options for residents to get tested,” said Vice Chair Karen Spiegel, second district supervisor. “This third drive-up location will help ensure that those who have symptoms have options to get tested.”
The church also confirmed the news on its official Facebook page: “We want to let you know that the City of Riverside is manning the operation in a safe and secure manner.
“Our hope is to reassure you that while we are doing everything we can to aid in combating the effects of COVID-19, the testing will be conducted outside in the patient’s vehicles. Therefore, our campus will not be affected by the presence of the medical testing. We want to be as helpful as we can during this difficult season and this opportunity is allowing us to do that. We love you, and we are praying for your safety and health always.”
On Tuesday, Riverside County added another 80 confirmed cases of the novel coronavirus, boosting its total to 371. In all, 13 have died from the virus in the county, according to the county’s public health website, and 30 have recovered.
The coronavirus, which causes the disease called COVID-19, has infected more than 885,000 people worldwide, including over 190,000 in the United States as of Wednesday morning, according to data by Johns Hopkins University.
A number of churches across the U.S. are currently hosting COVD-19 testing on their campuses.
In March, Church of the Highlands, one of the largest churches in the country, began offering drive-through coronavirus testing at its Grandview campus. In just two days, the church had completed nearly 1,000 tests.
On Sunday, members from the church’s Tuscaloosa Campus gathered in front of the local hospital to pray for protection over medical professionals and healing for the sick.
“We love seeing our church family come together to continue to bring hope to each of our communities,” the church said on its Facebook page.
In a recent Facebook video, Laurie, senior pastor of Harvest Christian Fellowship, urged Christians to start praying for the United States every day at 7:14 a.m. or p.m. amid the pandemic.
Laurie’s call to prayer is based on 2nd Chronicles 7:14 where the Lord says, “If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.”
“Is COVID-19, also known as the coronavirus, a modern-day plague or pestilence? We call it a 'pandemic,' but that’s a relatively modern term,” Laurie said. “I think it certainly could be. It’s been allowed by God. I’m not sure why, but I know one thing: God can cause all things to work together for good for those who love Him and are called according to His purpose.
“I’m not saying this is a good thing; far from it. It’s a bad thing. But God can bring good out of it, and if it gets people praying, if it gets people calling out to God, that’s some of the good that can come out of it.”
“Let’s do this together,” he concluded. “We need an Easter miracle.”
