Is It Time for Churches to Hold Regular Worship Services Despite COVID-19?

More and more Christians urge churches to reopen for in-person attendance in places where they remain closed. Is this the right thing to do now?

My View

Personally, I think even for small congregations that can spread out so that each congregant is ten or fifteen feet apart from any other one, it would be great to wait at least a few more weeks before resuming services. Let’s wait and see how things progress.

Church attendees often include many persons in their 60s, 70s, and older. Furthermore, these often are the most regular attendees, and in many cases will definitely seek to attend if services are held. But, as numerous news sources have reported, the fatality rate for older persons who catch COVID-19 is much higher than for young persons.

What I stated about small churches, applies even more for large churches. For example, for huge megachurches that may have thousands of persons in attendance, packed close together, singing, hugging, handshaking, talking, passing communion plates, passing offering plates, etc, the risks could be much greater as I see it.

Personally, I prefer to settle for worship at my apartment for at least a few more weeks. I can pray, read my Bible, watch worship services online, and contact Christian friends via phone, Facebook, etc., if necessary. I can even converse with Christian neighbors outdoors in my neighborhood, where ventilation is better than in a church building. Conversations can be conducted at a distance of 10 or even 15 feet apart outdoors in the warm, spring fresh air while enjoying the beauty of spring.

Restrictions

Restrictions on church gatherings and other large gatherings are gradually being lifted in areas where they were put in place. In some cases the relaxation is due to court orders.

For example, in Kentucky (where I live), churches were recently allowed to reopen after a U.S. District Judge ruled on Friday, May 8th, 2020, that Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear’s prohibition of church services and other mass gatherings was unconstitutional, as reported by numerous news sources. The judge ruled that if persons could shop at places as long as they maintained social distancing and wore masks, that they ought to be able to attend church as well, as long as they maintained similar safety procedures. The judge noted that religion was protected by the First Amendment to the United States Constitution, whereas these other gatherings were not.

I understand the reasons for the ruling, and I feel that there are strong arguments on both sides. God can protect us. But at the same time, shopping for food for perhaps 20 minutes in a store that offers social distancing and perhaps plastic shields at registers, is different from the extra conversation, singing, and often closeness that tends to occur at churches. Singing, shouting, and talking would tend to increase the spread of any virus droplets more than just shopping based on currently available information about the spread of COVD-19 that is available from various sources. Admittedly data is limited so far though.

I’m happy for those who enjoyed wonderful worship services in person on Mother's Day, Sunday, May 10th (and today May 17th), here in Kentucky and elsewhere. And I hope their assemblies don’t lead to an increase in the spread of COVID-19. For better or worse, the effects of these assemblies will probably be known in a few weeks. Then, if all goes well, persons like myself who are more cautious, will likely start attending.

Closing Thoughts

The freedom of religion and the other freedoms we enjoy in the United States are a large part of what makes this a great place to live. But we need to exercise our freedoms responsibly.

What constitutes being responsible differs among individuals. In the coming weeks and months, we will learn more about the effects of loosening restrictions on church gatherings, traveling, using beaches, etc.

I hope and pray that we will make, are making, and have made the right decisions under God’s leadership. And just as there are lots of different church denominations and congregations, there are lots of different views on how to proceed.

Maybe someday we’ll attain unity under God’s leadership on the right path to take. Maybe COVID-19 will even be a contributing factor on that. God is ultimately in control.

NOTE:

This article being submitted to Google Blogger on May 17th, 2020 is virtually identical to an article the author submitted to Craft News Report, a website operated by his friend Paul Craft, earlier the same day.