Church Reopening

“A majority of churches didn’t start holding in-person services again until June 2020. By September 2020, 87% met physically, but that dropped to 76% in January 2021, according to Lifeway Research studies conducted at the time. In August 2021, however, only 2% of churches did not meet in person at all.” - Lifeway

“Though we don’t have a precise picture of what churches will look like two years from now, we are at least getting some early indicators as the congregations regather.” - Thom Rainer

“ ‘We have to slow the rising tide of COVID-19 cases, or our hospitals will be overrun,’ the CMDA said in its ‘A Plea to Our Churches’ statement, which was authored by Jeffrey Barrows and Dr. Christopher Hook.” - CPost

“TGC asked five pastors how they’ve been using the relative safety of outdoors, how the weather is a challenge, and how they’re thinking creatively about the changing seasons.” - TGC

“A majority of African American Protestant pastors (60 percent) say their congregations did not meet in person last month. Mainline pastors (31 percent) are more likely than evangelical pastors (7 percent) to say they did not physically gather in September.” - BPNews

“To declare that ‘church is not church’ unless it takes a certain form discounts our incredible history and demeans believers around the world who are meeting differently than we meet. And to insist that a specific form of church is essential can attach people more to the form than to the focus of our gatherings.” - Eric Geiger

“My purpose in sharing my experience, once again, isn’t meant to shame churches conducting in-person gatherings. In fact, I’m still an advocate of churches conducting safe in-person gatherings. However, I hope my story will give churches who haven’t taken this virus as seriously a reason for pause.” - CToday

“Our church has used state guidelines to inform our decisions in order to protect our congregation and the public at large as we see this as the best way to love our neighbor and be a good witness to our community.” - C.Post

“Among U.S. Christians, about three-quarters say churches should be subject to the same rules as other businesses.

“It is legal to meet for worship in California. But, to do so, churches must follow the regulations put in place to limit the spread of the coronavirus, which involves meeting outside with masks and with distancing. How a church does that is up to them, but it is possible, as we have discovered.” - RNS