USA – Source: DailyPress
While some church services are continuing to remain online, a number of churches in the greater Williamsburg area are opening their doors again to parishioners, many with new safety features in place.
A widely diverse list of churches has been open for in-person worship for several weeks, including Williamsburg Community Chapel on State Route 5, CrossWalk Church in Norge and on State Route 5, Smith Memorial Baptist Church in Lightfoot, Faith Baptist Church on Rochambeau Drive, King of Glory Lutheran Church on Longhill Road and St. Bede Catholic Church on Ironbound Road.
Churches contacted that have no plans yet to resume in-person programs include Williamsburg Baptist Church on Richmond Road, First Baptist Church on Scotland Street, St. Martin’s Episcopal Church, St. Stephen Lutheran Church, Williamsburg United Methodist Church and Walnut Hills Baptist Church on Jamestown Road.
Most of the churches not holding in-person worship services have some form of virtual service, such as through Zoom. For example, no in-person services are planned, Bishop William Dawson of Mount Gilead Church in Grove said, but “we have instituted a program to feed the homeless while we are displaced from the church. … We were too tied to the church as a building, now God has shown us that we have the potential to reach the world.”
People from South Africa, France, Saint Lucia, Ghana and other places throughout the world are now joining Mount Gilead via its virtual services hosted on Zoom, Dawson explained.
According to the Rev. Cheryl Ann Griffin, pastor of St. Stephen Lutheran Church on Jamestown, “We’re in the middle of a survey of congregation members to determine if they feel comfortable returning to church with social distances. If in-person services are begun the church, will be able to accommodate only 40 people.”
Bruton Parish Church in the city’s historic area held its first in-person worship service July 5, but it was outside in the graveyard and not in the sanctuary, explained Marty Jones, senior warden. In holding its services, Bruton is abiding by the regulations spelled out by the Episcopal Diocese of South Virginia, which includes wearing masks and social distancing.
Seats for about 100 people were spaced in the churchyard, but only about 50 attended the first service. Outdoor services will continue 9 a.m. Sunday with a livestream service scheduled for 11 a.m. Music is played, Jones said, “but there is no hymn singing.”
Parishioners must get weekly reservations to attend the in-person service.
Apparently the first church to reopen was St. Bede Catholic Church on Ironbound Road, which resumed in-person weekend Masses on May 24, according to Monsignor Joseph Lehman, pastor.
“Daily Mass reopened about three weeks ago, on select days,” he added. “Live streaming continues of our Masses, open to the world. We’ve had replies from South American and the Netherlands” from people who have connected with the website.
After receiving detailed guidance from the Catholic Diocese of Richmond, local church leaders prepared their own plan, which then was presented and approved by the diocese. Reservations must be made for all in-person Masses, Lehman explained. There are special arrangements for arrival and departure, with hand sanitizers used both coming and going.
Worshipers are seated, families on one side of the church and couples and singles on the other, with social distancing maintained. Only about 300 people can be at each Mass under the COVID-19 protocols, based on the size of the facility.
Another early opener was Smith Memorial Baptist Church on May 31. There normally are three services each Sunday, at 9:30 and 11 a.m. and 12:30 p.m., with no more than 100 people allowed to attend each. But under COVID-19, the 12:30 p.m. service has been folded into the 11 a.m. contemporary worship service.
According to the Smith Memorial website there are specific requirements for arrivals and departures and personal self-care is emphasized. Pews are blocked off to assure social distancing.
CrossWalk Church’s two Williamsburg locations opened in-person services on June 14 with services at 10 or 10:30 a.m. depending upon the locale, according to Destiny Rothwell, CrossWalk creative director. There is a live band music, but no choirs for the programs.
Masks are required and social distancing will be maintained with every other row marked off, and 50% of the normal seating is available. CrossWalk pastor Mark Morrow said, “at one of our Williamsburg locations, we had so many people come back that we had to direct people to the overflow rooms” to maintain the distancing requirements.
“Church was never about the place. It’s about the people. It’s not a building, it’s a body of believers,” Rothwell said, “No matter what it looks like a pandemic, injustice, economic hardship, nothing can stop the power of our God.”
Regarding Faith Baptist Church’s reopening last month, Senior Pastor Alan Garbutt declined to comment. However, the church’s website said “you attend church services at your own risk. You may not hold Faith Baptist Church liable should you come in contact with an individual who has the COVID-19 virus during the time you attend our services. By attending our services, you are agreeing to indemnity and hold harmless Faith Baptist Church specifically related to COVID-19.” The church’s Sunday services are at 10:30 a.m. and 6 p.m.
Williamsburg Community Chapel, which opened in-person services last month, did not have anyone respond to telephone inquiries, but its web page notes that the 9 a.m. Sunday worship services are being held outside and online, while the 11 a.m. service will be inside and online. “We will continue to monitor the guidance from our Governor … over the coming weeks … . The Chapel staff is working diligently to sanitize all surfaces before and after events, as well as, provide a ‘touch-less’ experience for attendees as much as possible.”
King of Glory Lutheran Church offers three in-person Sunday services at different locations in the church building: 8 a.m. traditional worship in the sanctuary; 9:30 a.m. blended worship in Founders Hall; and 11 a.m. contemporary worship in the fellowship hall, according to their website. Sign-ups are required for the services with no walk-ins and hand sanitizers and face masks are a must, according to its web page.
Williamsburg Presbyterian Church on Richmond Road will begin in-person services Sunday. The move from Phase 2 to Phase 3 has not changed the church’s plans, according to the Rev. Dr. John E, Morgan, senior pastor. “We are staying with our Task Force (a seven member group) procedures,” developed for Phase 2.
Reservations must be made in advance for the in-person 11 a.m. service. “We strongly encourage anyone who is 65 or older… to please stay home and continue to worship with us virtually (at 9:30 a.m.),” a church letter to the membership stressed. Although the sanctuary holds more than 400 people, only 100 can be seated with social distancing — 60 on the first floor and 40 in the balcony.
Masks are required. There will be music and the organ will be played during the service, but no congregational singing is permitted. Participants are required to use the rear parking lot doors on arrival with departure through the Narthex doors onto Richmond Road.
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