On this episode of the FāVS Forward podcast the Rev. Melissa Opel of The Spokane Buddhist Temple talks about how congregations from Buddhist Churches of America are coming together during COVID-19 to provide worship and educational resources to those who can’t attend church or temple because of stay at home restrictions.
FāVS produced this podcast to provide unique, faith related COVID-19 coverage to our readers. If you enjoy it, please consider supporting our efforts.

Tracy Simmons is an award winning journalist specializing in religion reporting, digital entrepreneurship and social journalism. In her 15 years on the religion beat, Simmons has tucked a notepad in her pocket and found some of her favorite stories aboard cargo ships in New Jersey, on a police chase in Albuquerque, in dusty Texas church bell towers, on the streets of New York and in tent cities in Haiti.
Simmons has worked as a multimedia journalist for newspapers across New Mexico, Texas and Connecticut. She serves as the executive director of SpokaneFAVS.com, a digital journalism start-up covering religion news and commentary in Spokane, Wash. She is also a Scholarly Assistant Professor at Washington State University.