Greater Lafayette churches plan for re-opening

Greater Lafayette churches plan for re-opening

Open amid the pandemic.

Last week, he announced that churches will now be considered an "essential service."

Church leaders in greater lafayette say re-opening will depend on what's best for their congregation.

News 18's micah upshaw tells us more.

Gh: in regards to the president's comments, our churches have already been open, and we've trusted our faith leaders.

M: church leaders in indiana have the freedom to choose if and when they want to re-open.

They are, however, required to have safety and sanitation methods and enforce social distancing.

In greater lafayette, pastors are looking to their population to make their decisions.

A: we are definitely a church that's a little bit older and so we have to be worried about that population.

M: first christian church pastor andrew guthrie says a large portion of his congregation does fall into the at-risk category if they contract covid-19.

He's making decisions based on those ers.

A: we are going to continue in the set up with our sanctuary, kind of optimized for live-stream.

But we are going to allow people to come, basically sit in designated seats in the sanctuary if they are not part of a vulnerable population.

M: first christian will start allowing members back in the building starting sunday may 31st.

Second baptist church lead pastor charles walter says they're looking at the first sunday in july to re-open doors.

C: we don't want to i don't want to be a person that's perpetuating fear within our congregation and so we want to go ahead and open but we want to do it in a safe way, a way that everyone feels safe.

M: pastor walter's congregation also falls within an at-risk category.

C: we are a primarily african- american church, we know that this virus has disproportionate ly hit the the african- american community very hard and so that has gone into our thinking in terms of when we're going to re- open and how it's going to look.

M: innovation church pastors billy and mandy holden say they serve a majority of young families.

They say they're members are ready to get back to gathering in- person.

B: we put out a 20-question survey just to get the temperature on everybody.

So we got a good feedback through that survey so that we can open up and not only what's safe according to the government guidelines but also according to each and every individual.

M: innovation will be opening it's doors on sunday, june 7th.

Pastor holden says churches however, are not defined by a building.

B: it's not just a gathering, it's not just four walls, it's us displaying god's love that he's given to us.

M: in greater lafayette, micah upshaw.

News 18.

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