As coronavirus 'storm cloud' gathers, black church in Missouri braces for mourning

Pastor Traci Blackmon poses inside the closed Christ the King United Church of Christ, where five members of her 180-member congregation had gotten sick from the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) and two have died, in Florissant, Missouri, U.S. May 22, 2020. REUTERS/Lawrence Bryant

(Reuters) - When Traci Blackmon, the senior pastor for a predominantly black church in the suburbs of St. Louis, Missouri, is finally able to open the doors for service again, one of her main concerns is the collective sorrow her congregation will experience.

Five members of her 180-strong congregation have gotten sick from the coronavirus and two have died. Two others have died during lockdown due to other causes.