The Rev. Kim Poole said she is convinced there would be fewer problems in the world if people practiced their faith — any faith.

“I don’t think that we would have had the problems in our country if we had really been practicing — not the doctrine of our faith — but the relational reality of our faith,” Poole said.

Poole is the new pastor, since July 1, at Moscow’s First United Methodist Church on East Third Street, across from Moscow High School. She replaced the Rev. Debbie Sperry, who Poole said now preaches in Wenatchee, Wash.

Poole has been a pastor for 42 years, including the last four years near Twisp, Wash. Besides Twisp, her most recent stints as pastor were three years in Everett, Wash., and 20 years in Juneau, Alaska. She grew up in Texas.

“You follow where your love is and you follow where your skills are, and so church ministry has been that for me,” she said.

Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, Moscow’s First United Methodist Church services are still virtual, which Poole said brings hardships and benefits. She said she doesn’t know when in-person services will resume, but church leaders recently wrote a plan to address safety concerns when they do return.

“We have discovered we’re not as good at being alone as we thought we were and we’ve discovered how important that other person is to us, that maybe we didn’t even know they were important to us until we don’t get to sit in church with them,” Poole said.

She said it has been particularly difficult for people who live alone.

Communicating with her virtual audience has been tough for Poole because people listening to her cannot respond and she can’t sense their emotions.

“It is hard to preach when what you’re looking at is your own face saying the words that are coming out of your mouth right now,” she said.

On the positive side, Poole said some people have found they can worship any time and any day. She said people can click a link online and watch it at their convenience instead of being forced to show up at a certain time Sunday morning.

She said families who want to camp or have a youth sports game Sunday morning can still worship.

Poole said she has also discovered that some people who quit attending church find the services online and get interested again.

She said others have never thought about going to church and start listening online because of the convenience, but she doesn’t expect them to attend church in person.

“The message of the love of God is getting out, but is it going to grow an institution called church? I don’t think it will,” Poole said.

Cabeza can be reached at (208) 883-4631, or by email to gcabeza@dnews.com.