November 30, 2020

Donnie McClurkin Talks About His Battle with COVID-19

 


For the last two and a half months, Gospel singer and pastor of Perfecting Faith Church in Freeport, New York, Donnie McClurkin had been suffering from the COVID-19 virus. McClurkin revealed in an interview with Inspiration 1390 his bout with the illness.


"I had to walk people through the death of their loved ones. It was all in 2 ½ months. You had 32, 33 people that I had to deal with losing in 2 ½ months as well as going through COVID[-19] myself you know. So it's been a very harrowing experience." 


McClurkin said he contracted the virus near the end of March and he made an appointment to get tested but it took four weeks for health officials to get back to him. By then, he said, all his symptoms were gone.  "By the time I got to test all my symptoms were gone. I've gone through two weeks of all of the fever, the loss of taste, smell, the aches, the fatigue, and then still had to do the digital shows that we had to do each week, deal with the members that were dying, deal with the members' family that were dying and bishop friends of mine that were dying. It hit really hard," he explained.

He also noted the ongoing economic fallout from the virus that has forced many people to seek help from food banks run by organizations like his church that has been giving away food to hundreds of people each Wednesday.


"Food lines every Wednesday, we have food distribution every Wednesday. Our line stretches around the church with about 350 people every Wednesday," McClurkin said.


He said his church has flourished virtually through the increased reach of his services as well as giving. "It increased ours by thousands of people. Around the world now, people are watching Perfecting Faith Church's Wednesday's mid-week service and Sunday morning service. The membership has remained strong. The financial aspect has gotten stronger and people are accepting Jesus Christ, I'm telling you ... 200 people on a broadcast are saying that [they are saying] the Sinner's Prayer with us."