Churches cautious about restarting services

Churches got the go-ahead to resume public worship this Sunday under Idaho Gov. Brad Little’s four-phase approach to rebound from the COVID-19 shutdown.

But many area pastors say the requirements of social distancing and sanitation protocols make it unlikely their churches will be able to reopen anytime soon.

“I appreciate the spot Gov. Little’s in — it’s a hard place to be,” said the Rev. James Green of Orchards Community Church in Lewiston.

“But knowing you have to practice social distancing, there’s really no way to do that. Really, it’s going to be more like phase 3 before we can think about being together again. ... We’re going to try to have a plan, but we’re not there yet.”

The Rev. Peter F. Christensen, head of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Boise, issued a statement last week telling Catholic parishes they may reopen to normal activity this weekend “if they adhere to strict physical distancing, sanitation protocol and any (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) guidance.” Masses will resume today and, along with weddings and funerals, “may continue from then on as long as state-established criteria for social distancing and sanitation protocols are met and barring a re-imposition of a closure by the governor if the state were to experience a resurgence of coronavirus cases.”

In a video recording released Thursday, the Rev. Brad Neely of All Saints Catholic parish in Lewiston announced Mass will resume today at 5 p.m. and Sunday at 7:30 a.m. and 10 a.m. Mass at Sacred Heart Church in Lapwai will follow Sunday at 11:45 a.m.

Neely said individuals or family or couple groups are to sit with social distance spacing between them and ushers will be available to assist people who need help entering or exiting the church. The main entrance only will be open and volunteers are needed to help sanitize the church area following each Mass.

Neely also said people are asked not to hug, shake hands or congregate in groups following the service. The communion wafers will be served in people’s hands, rather than their mouths, and the communion wine will not be served for the time being. Also, music books that are generally available in the backs of the pews will not be there and music will be provided another way. Collection baskets will not be passed down the aisles and bulletins will be available at a central location.

Neely said the pandemic has caused a strain on local food banks and he urged people to bring donations for a basket that will be distributed to the agencies.

“It is not good to be hungry,” Neely said.

The Communion of Reformed Evangelical Churches, an association of churches that, according to the CREC website, includes Moscow’s Christ Church, announced two weeks ago that it was “soon” going ahead with church services, despite the stay-at-home order. Requests for comment about how Christ Church is handling that reopening were not answered.

The Rev. Beverly Hosea of Lewiston’s Episcopal Church of the Nativity, said the bishop of the Episcopal diocese, Gretchen Rehberg, is monitoring the situation but has decided the churches may not open this Sunday. Rehberg has said she will be giving guidelines for how to prepare and start the work needed for churches to reopen for worship and mission, as well as for allowing outside groups to come into the buildings.

“Our concern at Nativity is for the safety of all our parishioners and for the greater community that come to the church for various meetings and services,” Hosea said. “We, of course, hope that we can come back to the church building soon but we make no prediction as to when that will be.”

The Rev. Jeph Chavez of Echo Hills Church in Lewiston, said Little’s guidelines were “really muddy water,” that make it difficult for churches to meet social distancing guidelines right away.

“So we’re going to hold off until June 1 and continue with online services,” Chavez said. This Sunday the church is offering “a drive-in style service,” where people can come to the church but stay in their cars and listen to the online service.

When Echo Hills does resume normal worship, Chavez added, “we’re going to follow social distancing guidelines and have people outside of families sit apart. We’re going to make masks available and sanitation stations. We’re fortunate enough to have multiple entrances, so we’re asking people, don’t congregate at doors.”

For those who are even more cautious, he said, the balcony of the church will be reserved to allow for greater social distancing.

So far, Chavez said, the alternate worship format has been fine, “but I’d be good if we were done with it. I’m tired of doing things that way, but people appreciate it.”

The Rev. Cody Stauffer of the First United Methodist Church in Lewiston also said his church would not be holding services this Sunday.

“Under Little’s phased plan, it is not likely that our church would even meet the requirements until later phases,” Stauffer said. “Our church membership is largely comprised of folks (in the at-risk categories). If we did open, that means I would likely have to play policeman at the door ... and turn nearly all the folks away.”

Stauffer said his church and the Clarkston United Methodist Church, which he also pastors, have their own checklists before they feel confident about resuming normal services. And the bishop of the Greater Northwest Area of the United Methodist Church has directed churches to continue suspension of in-person worship gatherings until at least May 30.

“I have been hearing from other churches in the valley that they are not meeting this first weekend of May, either,” Stauffer said. “Though likely some of them will meet sooner than we will, I suspect that all churches will have a list of items that they are going to enact as well that will make in-person worship significantly different than it used to be.”

Steve Wilbraham, senior pastor at Lewiston’s Congregational Presbyterian Church, said there are no plans to resume Sunday services any time soon.

“I think we are not ready at this point to provide a safe and healthy space for our congregation,” Wilbraham said.

In a church where as many as 350 people may attend any given Sunday, it would be nearly impossible to preserve a 6-foot social distancing limit, he said.

Wilbraham said the church leadership team is trying to learn more about some of the other protocols, such as wearing masks and how to include congregants who are in the at-risk categories.

“We don’t want to open things up and tell others not to come because of (their) underlying health issues,” he said.

“At this point, we don’t have enough information and a full enough understanding to keep everyone healthy and safe,” Wilbraham said. “On May 12 our church board will be meeting and by then we may have more information and perhaps then we can begin a cautious reopening, at least in a limited way. But it’s probably going to be quite awhile before we are able to have everything back to doing the things we used to do. To be able to worship together with a lot of people in one space will be most difficult.”

Hedberg may be contacted at kathyhedberg@gmail.com or (208) 983-2326.