Reopening Texas and Houston
“When are most churches going to open?”
If I had a nickel for every time I’ve been asked that question just in the last couple of days, I’d be a very rich man. As with many things, the answer depends on a variety of factors.
Governor Abbott spoke Monday and provided Phase 1 details in his report to “Reopen Texas” which among other things, sparked an invigorated sense of enthusiasm to open Texas churches according to their capacities rather than numerical limits to group sizes. According to my anecdotal research of talking to churches in the Houston area, a few churches will begin in-person worship services the first weekend in May, a few more on Mother’s Day including Second Baptist Church Houston, a few more as May progresses, and many will target May 31 (Pentecost) or June 7 and beyond.
READY TO SERVE ALL CHURCHES
I trust that we have a common goal: the expansion of the Kingdom of God through the making of disciples. As we're loving God and loving our neighbors, this goal is what unites us.
Since 1840, the purpose of UBA has been to help all churches accomplish the Great Commission in our context. So now as we look to reopen, let’s work through a couple of issues that may be on the minds of your people and talk about the details of reopening well.
THE CURRENT DATA & WHAT DOCTORS ARE SAYING
A question that I continue to get relates to data. It can be confusing to focus on a lot of sources of data, and focusing on the macro-level picture can be scary or unhelpful. Leaders, check these two websites to get data on your zip code and what the Texas Medical Center is tracking for the entire greater Houston area.
Over the weekend, two prominent doctors from the Texas Medical Center gave helpful and informative interviews concerning the data and their perspectives. Houston Responds is hosting these interviews, one where the Sr. Pastor of Faithbridge Church Ken Werlein interviews Dr. Marc Boom, President and CEO of Houston Methodist, and one with Dr. David Callender, CEO of Memorial Hermann. As of Thursday morning April 30, these doctors among many others continue to recommend that churches take a “wait-and-see” attitude while businesses open over the next couple weeks, to let the data accumulate and see how the community is impacted by COVID-19 in light of increased social activity.
On March 17, we wrote alongside countless others that if Houston took the initiative and enacted social distancing, closing schools, and other practices, it was going to seem like an overreaction in hindsight if the death and sickness didn’t pan out as the models forecasted. A little more than one month later, those appear to have worked according to The Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME). For the successful intervention and the grace of God, we're thankful. We pray for ongoing grace in the coming weeks.
THE GOVERNOR’S PLAN
Governor Abbott spoke Monday and provided Phase 1 details in his report to “Reopen Texas” which among other things, granted that specific nonessential businesses like movie theaters, retail stores, and restaurants may open to 25% of their capacity beginning May 1.
Subsequently, the Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton released further guidance pertaining specifically to reopening churches. Since the Governor’s executive order (GA-16) on April 17, churches have been listed as “essential businesses” meaning that they are not limited to the 25% occupancy threshold but are still expected to practice social distancing and other measures recommended by the Center for Disease Control (CDC).
Consistently since GA-16 to current, guidance from the Governor’s office and Attorney General has been: “Houses of worship should conduct as many of their activities as possible remotely. Services that houses of worship do not conduct remotely should be conducted in accordance with the following minimum health protocols described in this document and guidance from the White House and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (“CDC”)” (Attorney General, April 27).
The Governor’s order also included this sentence, which bears repeating here: “...to reduce the spread of COVD-19, every person in Texas shall, except where necessary to provide or obtain essential services or reopened services, minimize social gatherings and minimize in-person contact with people who are not in the same household” (GA-18, pg. 3).
In the event that churches choose to have in-person services, there are numerous things they should do to follow the Governor’s advice to “help slow the spread of the virus.” If you haven’t seen the list of items included in the document such as leaving alternating rows empty and disinfecting seats between services, please read that section of “Reopen Texas” carefully.
IMPLEMENTATION IDEAS
And now, the other things.
When churches reopen, it will not look like it did before COVID happened, so prepare yourself and your people. The following is just a glimpse of some ideas of what churches are doing to make their facilities safe for themselves and their communities.
Children: The CDC has issued guidelines for operating child care facilities safely and most churches find them so complex and rigorous that, for the time being, many churches that hold services will not be offering child care.
Reduce Materials: Anything that you normally hand people during the course of a service needs to have an alternative no-touch solution including bulletins, offering plates, Bibles, hymnals, and communion elements. Each of those things represents a surface that should be wiped down and disinfected if handled by a person, so find electronic alternatives or static options like offering stations.
Control People-Traffic: Churches should consider leaving as many doors open as possible, and allowing greeters to stand at a socially-appropriate distance from doorways to prevent close contact. Some churches are even considering stationing people outside restrooms to control capacity and social distance in those rooms, and taking this opportunity to install foot-pulls on restroom doors (devices installed on the bottom edge of the door allowing the door to be opened with a foot).
Eliminate Physical Touch: Churches should remind their people to not shake hands or offer hugs. There will be some who want to “help” others overcome their fear by giving them some sort of physical contact during this time—rest assured, this is not helping anyone and adding to the stress already present in the community.
Many churches will offer masks to people who are not wearing them as they enter the building, and some churches will be conducting no-touch temperature checks at the door similar to what hospital staff use every day.
There are a lot of excellent resources out there to help churches make reopening lists and troubleshoot your services. Here are two of the best that I have seen:
LINGERING QUESTIONS
I know that churches are eager to meet together, to see one another, to hear the sound of one another’s voices sing (even if muffled by masks). But as we move into this next phase of preparing to reopen, here are some questions to think through carefully.
Have you asked your people what they want to do, and what they are looking for as far as reopening policies and timetables? I’m not saying it should be completely determined by the will of the masses, but it’s a valuable piece of information. Lifeway is offering a free survey to download and modify for this purpose.
How long are you prepared to have church in a segmented fashion? Churches are disproportionately populated with older adults, and until the health crisis passes, they are being told to stay away (for good medical reason). What efforts are you making to include them in your ministry, and how sustainable is that?
As you prepare to reopen with all the gusto of “We’re going to have 5 services when we normally have 2 and we’re going to wipe down everything in sight!” have you accounted for the cost and supply chain restrictions to cleaning supplies? Make sure your own supply chain is secure before you make unsustainable plans. Have you accounted for the wear and tear on your team, like the worship band that went from playing 1-2 sets to playing 5, and the cleaning crews whose responsibilities have multiplied 100 fold?
Have you considered doing a pilot opening before your first live service? I know of at least one church that will use a Wednesday night to pilot opening their facility to work out the kinks, and I thought it was a great idea.
As you reopen, have you thought about your online presence? Will it be an equal part of your portfolio, or be relegated to the backseat again? Are you going to stop preaching to the camera—at least occasionally—as if people are looking you in the eye? Because they are.
Have you thought about having kids in the room? I have a kindergartner and a third-grader, and explaining the concept of social distancing is tough without making it sound like the entire world is covered in razor blades. But, if you have groups meeting together–regardless of size–and the kids aren’t practicing social distancing, then no one is.
As you and your church consider what is best for your congregation and community, make sure you have thought through the necessary implications. Let's serve our people with gospel truth and actions to meet the needs of our current context.
#BetterTogether
Josh Ellis is Executive Director of Union Baptist Association. He has a PhD in Leadership Studies and has served on the UBA staff since 2005. With both practical and scholarly knowledge, he leads the association into innovative collaboration for the sake of strategic gospel advancement.