Return to worship a complex decision for local pastors

Some local churches will welcome congregations back for in-person worship this weekend, but pastors remain cautious.

Gov. Eric Holcomb lifted the state’s prohibition on religious gatherings May 8, and set forth guidelines for safely resuming in-person services.

A few Johnson County churches reopened immediately, but most churches with 100 or more active attendees have erred on the side of caution, said Dave Whitehead, executive pastor at Stones Crossing Church.

‘No blueprint for this’

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Stones Crossing is one Johnson County church returning to in-person services this Sunday. About 850 people, on average, attend the church’s two Sunday services, so church leaders had to come up with strategies to resume services safely, Whitehead said.

“We feel like we are very prepared for a return. We realize that not everyone will come back, but that’s OK,” he said. “We will welcome more people back later this summer when they are comfortable.”

Instead of two services, there will be three shorter services. Members were asked to register for one of the three services to limit the number of people at each service to 200 or fewer, Whitehead said.

Inside the auditorium where Sunday services are held, tables, more than six feet apart, were set up so families could sit together during the services, he said.

Seating in the foyer outside of the auditorium that normally invites the congregation to sit and talk has been removed to reinforce social distancing, Whitehead said.

“We really want people to come in and go out. If they want to do any fellow-shipping, we want them to do that outside,” he said.

Masks and sanitizer stations will also be available, but masks are not required to attend, Whitehead said. And between services, all common surfaces will be sanitized, including bathrooms, he said.

Franklin City Church was set to return this Sunday, but pushed back its reopening date another week due to technical difficulties, said Kevin Good, executive pastor. Church leaders had arrived on returning this Sunday because 2/3 of the congregation felt comfortable returning to church that day, according to a survey of active members.

Based on that survey, and with guidance from the governor, church leaders also determined what social distancing changes to make, Good said.

“One of our main objectives as pastors is to shepherd the flock and to care for our people. So we sent out a survey asking if we gather on (Sunday), what would we need to do to keep you safe,” he said.

While church leaders are eager to return to in-person services, many are hesitant to do so just yet. Some churches are also following another layer of guidance from their religious organizations.

Due to guidance from the Indiana United Methodist Conference, Methodist churches across the state will not reopen until mid-June, said Andy Kinsey, pastor of Grace United Methodist Church in Franklin.

Grace UMC plans to take small steps forward before reopening for services, such as bringing back bible study groups and allowing church volunteer committees to meet again, Kinsey said. This will ease the congregation back in, he said.

“I don’t think there is a rush to return so soon even though we can. Most of us in the church are taking our time. There are pros and cons (to going back),” Kinsey said.

Mount Pleasant Christian Church in Greenwood has a congregation of more than 3,000, as well as three smaller campuses in Indianapolis, so they are certainly taking a slower approach and looking at a mid-June reopening, pastor Chris Philbeck said.

The church is leaning on scripture to inform their reopening plans. Specifically, 1 Corinthians 6:12a, which says, “Everything is permissible for me – but not everything is beneficial,” Philbeck said.

Churches have to consider all ages in their reopening plans, so pastors are encouraging members 60 and older to consider staying home, and not resuming children’s services until the governor says it is safe to do so, Kinsey said.

“When we come back, we need to be cautious and let people understand what it is going to be like,” he said. “We feel we need to take a few more steps to ensure safety and well-being given our demographic.”

Church leaders are also tasked with making sure volunteers are prepared to handle the new environment, and that churches are well stocked on supplies needed for a safe return, pastors said.

“Pastors are trying to figure things out as they go. There is no blueprint for this,” Kinsey said.

Bridging the digital divide

Online services were a learning curve for many churches, but most pastors discovered the online services actually grew their audience most Sundays.

For Franklin City Church, online services were a difficult challenge that is at odds with how the congregation worships. The church believes deeply that church needs to happen in person and in a house of worship, Good said.

To preserve some sense of togetherness, the church set up Zoom meetings with families joining together on a home computer, he said. This method consistently had about 150 households join, which is close to regular attendance numbers, he said.

For Grace UMC, increasing its online presence was already a priority. But leaders had not started live-streaming services until they were forced to close their doors, Kinsey said. Live-streaming has increased the church’s average audience of services and, in a way, brought the congregation closer, he said.

“It has reminded us what it is like to be a church, even if we are not present together,” Kinsey said.

Mount Pleasant has offered online services for years, so when the four campuses closed, it was just a matter of transitioning its audience to an online-only format, Philbeck said.

“Every challenge brings opportunities. So we have taken this opportunity to reach as many people online as we can,” he said. “There are bumps in the road, but sometimes bumps are the things you climb on.”

Though many still prefer in-person worship, the congregation adjusted well and relied on its online services to better cope with the pandemic, Philbeck said.

“We are having more people participate now. There is not a lot to do. And when they see this kind of a thing," he said, "people turn to the lord.”