Religious leaders weigh factors in reopening decision

When to reopen the doors of churches, synagogues, temples and mosques is top of mind for religious leaders.

In DeKalb County, pastors, rabbis, priests and other spiritual leaders are contemplating timing of welcoming their flocks back into the houses of worship which have sat empty since the COVID-19 virus brought about widespread quarantine.

Rabbi Scott Sekulow of Beth Adonai Congregation in Tucker said he’s waiting until Phase 2 of the state’s reopening plan to consider inviting congregants back to the synagogue. He anticipates the synagogue won’t reopen before the end of June. Beth Adonai’s building holds about 200 and the rabbi said it is usually at 80 percent capacity so “the idea of social distancing really would be very difficult.”

Fewer cases of the virus is crucial to the timing of Beth Adonai’s reopening, he said.

In preparing to eventually return to the synagogue, Beth Adona leaders have secured plastic shields to use around food during post-service luncheons on Saturdays, according to the rabbi.

One of the reasons people attend religious services is for social interaction and social distancing will become an individual decision and responsibility within the synagogue, he said.

Sekulow said he doesn’t anticipate any major adjustments once congregants return to the synagogue. The once monthly Torah walk and Davidic dance will continue as previously held, he said.

Moving to online and social media platforms for Beth Adonai was not a challenge as the synagogue has been live streaming services for years to audience members locally and around the world, he said. They also have been using Zoom for weekly fellowship meetings and classes.

What has been a challenge for Sekulow is not being able to “read” the reactions of a live audience to his message.

“Everything is changing on a day-to-day basis,” said Sekulow of guidelines and advice coming from government leaders and health experts, which make it difficult to make specific plans.

On May 18, Archbishop Gregory Hartmayer announced guidelines for the reopening of churches in the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Atlanta. Weekend masses will resume May 30-31 and parishes will have the open to offer weekday mass beginning May 25.

The guidelines—a combination of requirements, suggestions and best practices—include requiring use of masks, one-way aisles for communion, pews being taped off for social distancing, a reservation system or first-com/first admitted system, according to an article in the diocese’s The Georgia Bulletin.

On May 22 President Donald Trump declared churches and other houses of worship as “essential” and called on governors to allow them to reopen.
Rev. Eric Lee, senior pastor at Chamblee United Methodist Church, said having a plan for distancing, safety and the blessing of their bishop is needed before they reopen.

“Our Bishop has asked all United Methodist Churches to keep our campuses closed until June 22,” shared Lee via email. “We anticipate receiving further guidance in June. Chamblee Methodist currently has no date set for reopening of our facilities.”

However, Lee said his church, which has an average attendance of 250-300 on Sunday mornings, still is functioning during the pandemic.

“Please note that even though our facility is closed, our church hasn’t closed at all. We still have online worship, we have Sunday school and other groups meeting via video conference and social media, and we are still working benevolently in the community,” he said.

Lee and a team are working on a plan for reopening.

“We are composing a team of people who have expertise in medical, psychological, and legal fields,” Lee said. “The team will help me, and our other leaders come up with procedures and a timeline for opening the facilities for gatherings.”

But when the church’s doors are opened, Lee said he anticipates it will be different than before. In addition to 6 to 10 feet distancing and masks, there will not be hand-held items such as hymnals and bulletins in pews.
“It’s likely we will have no choir, no hand shaking or hugging, no nursery, and we will restrict the flow of traffic in the building,” Lee said.