Greenback couple starts nationwide campaign for ringing bells on Easter

Melanie Tucker thedailytimes.com

Church congregations have stopped coming together due to the COVID-19 outbreak, but a couple in Greenback hopes to bring a sense of community connectedness with a special Easter plea.

Polly and Chad Evans, who are members of Greenback Memorial Church, came up with the idea for all churches, regardless of denomination, to ring their bells at 10 a.m. on Easter morning, which is April 12. Chad is a former member of the gospel group Twice Born, which performed for 30 years before deciding to call it quits.

He knows lots of pastors, Polly said, so he’s been contacting them and asking them to participate in this Easter event. They have also reached out on social media.

“We are thrilled to see so many communities wanting to participate,” Polly said. She said there have been more than 1,000 shares of the Facebook post. People in California, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Ohio, Indiana and Florida have been responding, she said.

Some churches don’t have bells, but some have said they will have their organist play the bell section on that day.

Because she lives relatively close to her church, Polly said she will be able to step outside her home and hear the bells.

“As Christians collectively, I just think it will be so special to step outside my door in Greenback and hear church bells,” she said. “Think of all our family traditions over the years of going to church. You can remember getting a new dress and going to Easter service. The family dinners and Easter egg hunts. We are in a situation where we can’t do that right now. This is a way we can be together.”

It is a simple act, Polly said, but it can reach beyond borders and denominations, Polly said. Christians can all come together at 10 a.m. on Easter Sunday as they listen to the bells near them and pray in thankfulness for this Easter season and for God’s care in this time of crisis, she said.

“We are all in the same boat,” she said.